1952 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season

The 1952 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the fourth F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix season. The season consisted of eight Grand Prix races in five classes: 500cc, 350cc, 250cc, 125cc and Sidecars 500cc. It began on 18 May, with Swiss Grand Prix and ended with Spanish Grand Prix on 5 October.

1952 F.I.M. Grand Prix motorcycle racing season

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1951

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1953

Umberto Masetti won his second and final 500cc World Championship title in 1952.

Geoff Duke (pictured in 1951) successfully defended his 350cc World Championship title.

Enrico Lorenzetti won his only world championship in the 250cc class.

1952 Grand Prix season calendar

Round	Date	Grand Prix	Circuit	125cc winner	250cc winner	350cc winner	500cc winner	Sidecars 500cc winner	Report
1	18 May	Swiss Grand Prix	Bremgarten		Fergus Anderson	Geoff Duke	Jack Brett	Milani / Pizzocri	Report
2	13 June	Isle of Man TT	Snaefell Mountain	Cecil Sandford	Fergus Anderson	Geoff Duke	Reg Armstrong		Report
3	28 June	Dutch TT	Assen	Cecil Sandford	Enrico Lorenzetti	Geoff Duke	Umberto Masetti		Report
4	6 July	Belgian Grand Prix	Spa-Francorchamps			Geoff Duke	Umberto Masetti	Oliver / Price	Report
5	20 July	German Grand Prix	Solitude	Werner Haas	Rudi Felgenheier	Reg Armstrong	Reg Armstrong	Smith / Clements	Report
6	16 August	Ulster Grand Prix	Clady	Cecil Sandford	Maurice Cann	Ken Kavanagh	Cromie McCandless		Report
7	14 September	Nations Grand Prix	Monza	Emilio Mendogni	Enrico Lorenzetti	Ray Amm	Leslie Graham	Merlo / Magri	Report
8	5 October	Spanish Grand Prix	Montjuïc	Emilio Mendogni			Leslie Graham	Oliver / Dobelli	Report

Standings

Scoring system

Points were awarded to the top six finishers in each race. Only the four best races counted in the Sidecars, 125cc and 250cc, while in the 350cc and 500cc championships, the five best results counted.

Position	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th
Points	8	6	4	3	2	1

500cc final standings

Pos Rider Machine SUI MAN HOL BEL GER ULS NAC ESP Pts 1 Umberto Masetti Gilera Ret 1 1 Ret Ret 2 2 28 2 Leslie Graham MV Agusta Ret 2 7 Ret 4 Ret 1 1 25 3 Reg Armstrong Norton Ret 1 4 Ret 1 Ret 6 5 22 4 Rod Coleman AJS 5 4 5 5 Ret 2 Ret 15 5 Jack Brett AJS / Norton 1 Ret 9 4 Ret 4 7 14 6 Ken Kavanagh Norton 32 3 2 Ret 3 14 7 Geoff Duke Norton Ret Ret 2 2 12 8 Nello Pagani Gilera 4 6 6 3 4 12 9 Cromie McCandless Norton / Gilera 6 1 9 10 Ray Amm Norton 6 3 Ret 3 Ret 9 9 11 Carlo Bandirola MV Agusta 3 Ret Ret Ret 4 Ret 7 12 Bill Doran AJS 2 6 13 Bill Lomas AJS / MV Agusta 5 Ret Ret 3 Ret Ret 6 14 Sid Lawton Norton / AJS 8 12 Ret 3 Ret 6 5 15 Auguste Goffin Norton 7 5 Ret Ret 2 16 Peter Carter Norton 10 5 2 17 Giuseppe Colnago Gilera 17 5 Ret 2 18 Hans Baltisberger BMW 6 Ret 1 19 John Surtees Norton 6 1 20 Libero Liberati Gilera 7 8 8 16 0 21 Siegfried Wünsche BMW / DKW 11 7 0 22 Tony McAlpine Norton 13 Ret 7 Ret 0 23 Roy Evans Norton 14 7 0 24 George Brown Norton 7 Ret 0 25 Robin Sherry Norton / AJS Ret 8 Ret 9 0 26 Ken Mudford Norton 8 10 0 27 Karl Rührschneck Norton 8 Ret 0 28 Fernando Aranda Gilera 8 0 = William Campbell Norton 8 0 30 Lous van Riswijk Matchless / Norton 11 9 0 31 Siegfried Fuss Norton 9 0 = John Guirke Norton 9 0 = Alain Lawton Norton 9 0 = Willy Lips Norton 9 0 = Albert Moule Norton 9 0 36 Rudi Knees Norton 10 11 0 37 John Grace Norton 16 10 0 38 Jack Bailey Norton Ret 10 0 = Friedel Schön Horex 10 Ret 0 40 Francis Basso Norton 10 0 = Martino Giani MV Agusta 10 0 42 Humphrey Ranson Norton 17 Ret 11 0 43 Enrico Galante Norton 11 0 = Malcolm Templeton AJS 11 0 = Vic Willoughby Norton 11 0 = Hans Wirz Triumph 11 0 47 Bill Beevers Norton 12 Ret 0 48 Francesco Guglielminetti MV Agusta 12 0 = Herbert Ranson Norton 12 0 = Geoff Read Norton 12 0 = Edouard Texidor Norton 12 0 = Harry Turner Norton 12 0 53 Javier de Ortueta Norton 13 Ret 0 54 Piet Bakker BMW 13 0 = Massimo Forster Gilera 13 0 = Ewald Kluge DKW 13 0 = Douglas Sides Velocette 13 0 58 Carletto Bellotti Moto Guzzi 14 0 = Harry Lindsay Triumph 14 0 = Reg MacDonald AJS 14 0 = Drikus Veer Triumph 14 0 62 Rally Dean Norton Ret Ret 15 0 63 Siegfried Vogel Norton 15 0 = Don Williams Norton 15 0 65 Robert Ferguson AJS 16 0 66 John Dickson Velocette 18 0 = Charlie Salt BSA 18 0 68 Robin Fitton Norton 19 0 = Cyril Stevens Norton 19 0 70 Fonsie McGovern Norton 20 0 = Frank Norris Norton 20 0 72 Arthur Wheeler Norton 21 Ret Ret 0 73 J. O. Kerrigan Triumph 21 0 74 Ken Swallow Norton 22 0 75 Syl Anderton Norton 23 0 76 Les Dear Norton 24 0 77 Sven Sørensen Norton 25 0 78 Howard Grindley Norton 26 0 79 Jack Varlow Norton 27 0 80 Harry Stephen Norton 28 0 81 Leo Starr AJS 29 0 82 Dennis Lashmar Norton 30 0 83 David Stevenson AJS 31 0 84 Leslie Harris Norton Ret 33 0 85 Leslie Barrett Norton 34 0 86 John Fisher AJS 35 0 87 Joe Glazebrook Norton 36 0 88 Jack Harding Norton 37 0 89 Eric Hardy AJS 38 0 90 Ivor Wagar Triumph 39 0 91 Bob McDonald AJS 40 0 92 Charlie Gray AJS 41 0 – Phil Heath Vincent / Norton Ret Ret Ret Ret – Bob Matthews Norton / Matchless Ret Ret Ret 0 – Alfredo Milani Gilera Ret Ret Ret 0 – Ernie Ring Matchless Ret Ret Ret 0 – Charles Bruguiere Norton Ret Ret 0 – Georges Burgaff Norton Ret Ret 0 – Werner Gerber Horex Ret Ret 0 – Dean Hollier Norton Ret Ret 0 – Sidney Mason Norton Ret Ret 0 – Bill Petch Norton Ret DNS 0 – Emilio Soprani Gilera Ret DNS 0 – Jost Albisser Rudge Ret 0 – Syd Barnett Norton Ret 0 – Edgar Barth Norton Ret 0 – Felice Benasedo Moto Guzzi Ret 0 – David Bennett Norton Ret 0 – Wilf Billington Norton Ret 0 – George Brockerton Bitza Ret 0 – Louis Carter Norton Ret 0 – Jacques Collot Norton Ret 0 – Firmin Dauwe Norton Ret 0 – Lodovico Facchinelli Gilera Ret 0 – Archie Fenn Norton Ret 0 – Peter Fernando Norton Ret 0 – Cees Fokke-Bosch Norton Ret 0 – Tito Forconi MV Agusta Ret 0 – Sid Franklen AJS Ret 0 – Roy Godwin Norton Ret 0 – Ernst Gross BMW Ret 0 – Bill Hall Norton Ret 0 – Ernst Hoske Horex Ret 0 – Robert King Norton Ret 0 – John Maloney Vincent Ret 0 – Alex Mayer Norton Ret 0 – Tommy McEwan Norton Ret 0 – Gerhard Mette BMW Ret 0 – Stan Miller Norton Ret 0 – Eric Oliver Norton Ret 0 – Ashley Parry Norton Ret 0 – Roland Pike BSA Ret 0 – Arthur Pollitt Norton Ret 0 – Mark Prudence Norton Ret 0 – Bob Rowbottom AJS Ret 0 – Cecil Sandford BSA Ret 0 – Simon Sandys-Winsch Velocette Ret 0 – Lodewijk Simons Norton Ret 0 – Henk Steman Norton Ret 0 – Norman Stewart Norton Ret 0 – Les Tedder AJS Ret 0 – Roy Walker BSA Ret 0 – Dick Ward Velocette Ret 0 – Leonard Williams Velocette Ret 0 – Tommy Wood Norton Ret 0 – Gerhard Pohlers BMW DNS 0 Pos Rider Bike SUI MAN HOL BEL GER ULS NAC ESP Pts

Colour Result Gold Winner Silver Second place Bronze Third place Green Points classification Blue Non-points classification Non-classified finish (NC) Purple Retired, not classified (Ret) Red Did not qualify (DNQ) Did not pre-qualify (DNPQ) Black Disqualified (DSQ) White Did not start (DNS) Withdrew (WD) Race cancelled (C) Blank Did not practice (DNP) Did not arrive (DNA) Excluded (EX) Bold – Pole Italics – Fastest Lap

350cc Standings

Place	Rider	Number	Country	Machine	Points	Wins
1	Geoff Duke		United Kingdom	Norton	32	4
2	Reg Armstrong		Ireland	Norton	24	1
3	Ray Amm		Southern Rhodesia	Norton	21	1
4	Rod Coleman		New Zealand	AJS	20	0
5	Ken Kavanagh		Australia	Norton	16	1
6	Jack Brett		United Kingdom	AJS	12	0
7	Bill Lomas		United Kingdom	AJS	9	0
8	Sid Lawton		United Kingdom	AJS	7	0
9	Robin Sherry		United Kingdom	AJS	4	0
10	Ernie Ring		Austria	AJS	3	0
11	Ewald Kluge		Germany	DKW	2	0
=	Auguste Goffin		Belgium	Norton	2	0
13	Leslie Graham		United Kingdom	Velocette	1	0
=	Mike O'Rourke		Ireland	AJS	1	0
=	George Brown		United Kingdom	AJS	1	0
=	Roland Schnell		Germany	Horex	1	0

250cc Standings

Place	Rider	Number	Country	Machine	Points	Wins
1	Enrico Lorenzetti		Italy	Moto Guzzi	28	2
2	Fergus Anderson		United Kingdom	Moto Guzzi	24	2
3	Leslie Graham		United Kingdom	Velocette	11	0
4	Maurice Cann		United Kingdom	Moto Guzzi	10	1
5	Rudi Felgenheier		Germany	DKW	8	1
6	Bruno Ruffo		Italy	Moto Guzzi	7	0
7	Werner Haas		Germany	NSU	6	0
=	Heinrich Thorn-Prikker		Germany	Moto Guzzi	6	0
=	Alano Montanari		Italy	Moto Guzzi	6	0
10	Herman Gablenz		Germany	Horex	4	0
=	Sid Lawton		United Kingdom	Moto Guzzi	4	0
=	Arthur Wheeler		United Kingdom	Moto Guzzi	4	0
13	Ewald Kluge		Germany	DKW	3	0
=	Ronald Mead		United Kingdom	Velocette	3	0
=	Gotthilf Gehring		Germany	Moto Guzzi	3	0
16	Roberto Colombo		Italy	NSU	2	0
=	Bill Webster		United Kingdom	Velocette	2	0
=	Nino Grieco		Italy	Parilla	2	0
=	Benny Rood		United Kingdom	Velocette	2	0
20	Bruno Francisci		Italy	Moto Guzzi	1	0
=	Ray Petty		United Kingdom	Norton	1	0
=	Sieb Postma		Netherlands	Moto Guzzi	1	0

125cc

Riders' standings

Pos. Rider Bike MAN NED GER ULS NAT ESP Pts 1 Cecil Sandford MV Agusta 1F 1F 3 1F 3 28 (32) 2 Carlo Ubbiali Mondial 2 2 2 2 24 3 Emilio Mendogni Morini 1 1F 16 4 Leslie Graham MV Agusta 3 2 10 5 Luigi Zinzani Morini 3 6 4 6 9 6 Werner Haas NSU 1F 8 7 Angelo Copeta MV Agusta 5 5 4 7 8 Bill Lomas MV Agusta 2 6 9 Guido Sala MV Agusta 4 5F 5 10 Len Parry Mondial 3 4 10 Charlie Salt MV Agusta 3 4 12 Cromie McCandless Mondial 4 3 12 Romolo Ferri Morini 4 3 14 Hubert Luttenberger NSU 5 6 3 15 Hermann Paul Müller Mondial 5 2 16 Frank Burman EMC-Puch 6 1 16 Lo Simons Mondial 6 1 Pos. Rider Bike MAN NED GER ULS NAT ESP Pts

Race key Colour Result Gold Winner Silver 2nd place Bronze 3rd place Green Points finish Blue Non-points finish Non-classified finish (NC) Purple Retired (Ret) Red Did not qualify (DNQ) Did not pre-qualify (DNPQ) Black Disqualified (DSQ) White Did not start (DNS) Withdrew (WD) Race cancelled (C) Blank Did not practice (DNP) Did not arrive (DNA) Excluded (EX) Annotation Meaning P Pole position F Fastest lap Rider key Colour Meaning Light blue Rookie rider

Constructors' standings

Each constructor is awarded the same number of points as their best placed rider in each race.

Pos.	Constructor	MAN	NED	GER	ULS	NAT	ESP	Pts
1	MV Agusta	1	1	3	1	3	2	30 (38)
2	Mondial	2	2	2		2	5	24 (26)
3	Morini		3	6		1	1	21
4	NSU			1		6		9
5	EMC-Puch	6						1
Pos.	Constructor	MAN	NED	GER	ULS	NAT	ESP	Pts

References

• Haefliger, Werner. FIM MotoGP Results 1949–2023 Guide (2024 ed.). pp. 12–13. ISBN 978-2-9701086-8-9.
• Büla, Maurice & Schertenleib, Jean-Claude (2001). Continental Circus 1949–2000. Chronosports S.A. ISBN 2-940125-32-5
• "The Official MotoGP website". Archived from the original on 2012-03-02. Retrieved 2010-07-06.