Le Mans sees us hit a mega milestone, so we thought we’d take a short trip down memory lane to see how our sport has evolved
If you were to travel from the Isle of Man to Le Mans by motorcycle, you’d clock just over 1000 kilometres from one world-famous motorsport venue to the other. It’s apt then that after the Isle of Man TT hosted the first Motorcycle Grand Prix back in 1949, Le Mans and the French GP will host the 1000th Grand Prix. And what a journey it’s been in the 999 GPs between then and now.
Ahead of the 1000th GP that takes place at this weekend’s SHARK Grand Prix de France, we thought we’d take a brief look at how our beautiful sport has evolved between 1949 and 2023.
1000 Grands Prix: Legends making history
In 1949, the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) was born and our story began with 125cc, 250cc, 350cc and 500cc motorcycle classes, while 600cc sidecars helped form the inaugural World Championship too.
Britain’s Leslie Graham became the first 500cc World Champion riding a British-built AJC machine, but it was soon another European country that would stamp its early authority in Grand Prix Motorcycle Racing.
Between 1949 and 1974, Italian manufacturers MV Agusta and Gilera dominated the 500cc class. MotoGP™ Legends such as Geoff Duke, John Surtees, Giacomo Agostini, Phil Read and Mike Hailwood won their premier class titles on the aforementioned machines before 1975 saw Agostini notch up his eighth 500cc crown on a Yamaha.
Rise of the Japanese manufacturers
1966 was the first year a Japanese manufacturer won a premier class race. Thanks to Jim Redman, Honda achieved that feat at Hockenheim, while Yamaha won the Constructors’ title for the first time in 1974.
From 1975 onwards, Honda, Suzuki and Yamaha began to dominate the premier class. Suzuki and Yamaha shared the glory between 1975 and 1982 before Freddie Spencer handed Honda their…