1960 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season

John Surtees (pictured in 1958) retained his 350cc and 500cc World Championship title, his final titles in motorcycle racing before moving to Formula One.

In his final season, Carlo Ubbiali successfully defended his 125cc and 250cc World Championship title.

The 1960 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 12th F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix season. The season consisted of seven Grand Prix races in five classes: 500cc, 350cc, 250cc, 125cc and Sidecars 500cc. It began on 22 May, with French Grand Prix and ended with Nations Grand Prix in Italy on September 11.

John Surtees won the fourth and final 500cc championship after winning the German Grand Prix. On 28 July 1960, Surtees took to switch to Formula One shortly after winning the classes titles.

1960 Grand Prix season calendar

Round	Date	Grand Prix	Circuit	125cc winner	250cc winner	350cc winner	500cc winner	Sidecars 500cc winner	Report
1	22 May	French Grand Prix	Charade Circuit			Gary Hocking	John Surtees	Fath / Wohlgemuth	Report
2	17 June	Isle of Man TT	Snaefell Mountain	Carlo Ubbiali	Gary Hocking	John Hartle	John Surtees	Fath / Wohlgemuth	Report
3	25 June	Dutch TT	TT Circuit Assen	Carlo Ubbiali	Carlo Ubbiali	John Surtees	Remo Venturi	Harris / Campbell	Report
4	3 July	Belgian Grand Prix	Spa-Francorchamps	Ernst Degner	Carlo Ubbiali		John Surtees	Fath / Wohlgemuth	Report
5	24 July	German Grand Prix	Solitudering		Gary Hocking		John Surtees	Fath / Wohlgemuth	Report
6	6 August	Ulster Grand Prix	Dundrod Circuit	Carlo Ubbiali	Carlo Ubbiali	John Surtees	John Hartle		Report
7	11 September	Nations Grand Prix	Monza	Carlo Ubbiali	Carlo Ubbiali	Gary Hocking	John Surtees		Report

Standings

Scoring system

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

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

500cc final standings

Pos	Rider	Machine	FRA	MAN	HOL	BEL	GER	ULS	NAC	Pts
1	John Surtees	MV Agusta	1	1	Ret	1	1	2	1	32 (46)
2	Remo Venturi	MV Agusta	2		1	2	2		Ret	26
3	John Hartle	MV Agusta / Norton		2	Ret	8		1	5	16
4	Bob Brown	Norton	3	6	2	3				15
-	Emilio Mendogni	MV Agusta			3	6	3		2	15
6	Mike Hailwood	Norton		3	5	4		Ret	3	13
7	Paddy Driver	Norton	4	9	4	Ret	7	Ret	4	9
8	Dickie Dale	Norton		5	6	12	4	7	9	6
9	Jim Redman	Norton		15		5	Ret	5	6	5
10	Alan Shepherd	Matchless		Ret				3		4
11	Tom Phillis	Norton		4				6		4
12	Ralph Rensen	Norton		10				4		3
13	John Hempleman	Norton	9			7	5			2
14	Ladislaus Richter	Norton	5	Ret		Ret	Ret			2
15	Fumio Ito	BMW	6		10	10				1
16	Rudolf Gläser	Norton			Ret	15	6		Ret	1
17	Hugh Anderson	Norton	7	Ret				Ret	7	0
18	Frank Perris	Norton			7	Ret		Ret		0
19	Tony Godfrey	Norton		7						0
20	Jack Findlay	Norton			11	Ret	12	13	8	0
21	Hans-Günter Jäger	BMW	11		Ret	16	8		Ret	0
22	Robert Weston	Norton	8		Ret	14				0
23	Bob Anderson	Norton		8	Ret	Ret		Ret	Ret	0
24	Ron Miles	Norton			8	Ret		Ret		0
25	Bruce Daniels	Norton						8		0
26	Bert Schneider	Norton		Ret	Ret	9	9			0
27	Steve Murray	Matchless		28				9		0
28	Ernst Hiller	BMW			9					0
29	Jacques Insermini	Norton	10			13	10	Ret	10	0
30	Peter Middleton	Norton		14				10		0
31	Lothar John	BMW	13				17		11	0
32	Peter Pawson	Norton		Ret		11		Ret		0
33	Alois Huber	BMW					11			0
=	John Lewis	Norton		11						0
=	George Purvis	Matchless						11		0
36	Jannie Stander	Norton	12	27						0
37	Heinz Kauert	Matchless					Ret		12	0
38	Anton Elbersen	BMW			12					0
=	Roy Ingram	Norton		12						0
=	Ray Spence	Norton						12		0
41	Allen Krupa	Norton		34			13			0
42	Bill Smith	Matchless		13						0
=	Vasco Loro	Norton							13	0
44	Raymond Bogaerdt	Norton			Ret	17	14			0
45	Jean-Pierre Bayle	Norton	14			Ret	Ret			0
46	Vernon Cottle	Norton		Ret				14		0
47	Eddie Crooks	Norton		Ret				15		0
=	Raymond Hanset	Norton				Ret	15			0
=	Fritz Kläger	Horex	15				Ret			0
50	Jack Bullock	Matchless		16				21		0
51	Antoine Paba	Norton	16							0
=	Tommy Holmes	Norton						16		0
=	Walter Scheimann	Norton					16			0
54	Syd Mizen	Matchless		17						0
=	Trevor Pound	Norton						17		0
=	Hans Schmidt	Norton	17							0
57	Derek Powell	Matchless / Norton		18				18		0
58	Fritz Meyer	BMW					18			0
=	Guy Troncarelli	Norton	18							0
60	George Catlin	Matchless		19						0
=	Sven-Olov Gunnarsson	Norton						19		0
=	Karl Recktenwald	Norton					19			0
63	Billy McCosh	AJS		32				20		0
64	Terry Shepherd	Norton		20				Ret		0
65	Fred Stevens	Norton		21						0
66	Don Chapman	Norton		22						0
=	Dick Creith	BSA						22		0
68	Jack Brett	Norton		23						0
=	Martin Brosnan	Norton						23		0
70	Alf Shaw	Norton		36				24		0
71	Bob Rowbottom	Norton		24						0
72	Frank Gordon	Matchless						25		0
=	John Hurlstone	Norton		25						0
74	William Roberton	Norton						26		0
=	Derek Russell	Norton		26						0
76	Ernie Oliver	Norton						27		0
77	Robert McCracken	Norton						28		0
78	Alberto Pagani	Norton		29						0
=	Jack Redmond	Norton						29		0
80	Harry Grant	Norton		30						0
=	Jack Shannon	BSA						30		0
82	Owen Greenwood	Triumph		31						0
83	Ronald Cousins	Norton		33						0
84	Bill Beevers	Norton		35						0
85	Albert Moule	Norton		37						0
86	Patrick Manning	Norton		38						0
87	Joe Glazebrook	Norton		39						0
88	George Northwood	Norton		40						0
-	John Simmonds	Matchless		NC						0
-	Dave Wildman	Norton		NC						0
-	Alan Trow	Norton		Ret		Ret		Ret		0
-	Bob McIntyre	Norton		Ret				Ret		0
-	Bill Prowting	AJS / Norton		Ret				Ret		0
-	Tom Thorp	Matchless		Ret				Ret		0
-	Martinus van Son	Norton					Ret		Ret	0
-	Chris Anderson	Norton						Ret		0
-	Jean-Claude Bargetzi		Ret							0
-	James Beckett	Norton		Ret						0
-	Monty Buxton	Norton		Ret						0
-	Paolo Campanelli	Norton							Ret	0
-	Geoff Canning	BSA						Ret		0
-	Roly Capner	BSA		Ret						0
-	Bror-Erland Carlsson	Matchless						Ret		0
-	Evert Carlsson	BMW					Ret			0
-	Louis Carr	Matchless		Ret						0
-	Peter Chatterton	Matchless		Ret						0
-	Artemio Cirelli	Gilera							Ret	0
-	Sam Cooper	Norton		Ret						0
-	Davy Crawford	Norton						Ret		0
-	Giuseppe Dardanello	Norton							Ret	0
-	Graham Downes	Norton		Ret						0
-	Mike Duff	Norton		Ret						0
-	Holger Ekström	Norton		Ret						0
-	Frans Fagerström	Matchless		Ret						0
-	Ray Fay	Matchless		Ret						0
-	Hans-Siegfried Gläser	Norton					Ret			0
-	Klaus Hamelmann	Münch					Ret			0
-	Andreas Klaus	Norton					Ret			0
-	Den Jarman	Matchless		Ret						0
-	Giuseppe Mantelli	Gilera							Ret	0
-	Emanuele Maugliani	Gilera							Ret	0
-	Alfredo Milani	Gilera							Ret	0
-	Derek Minter	Norton		Ret						0
-	Laurence Povey	BSA		Ret						0
-	Gijs Oosterbaan	Norton					Ret			0
-	Llewelyn Ranson	Norton		Ret						0
-	Harold Riley	Norton		Ret						0
-	Bill Robertson	Norton		Ret						0
-	Tommy Robinson	Norton					Ret			0
-	Renzo Rossi	Gilera							Ret	0
-	Graham Smith	Norton		Ret						0
-	William van Leeuwen	Norton			Ret					0
-	Joe Wright	Norton		Ret						0
-	Benedetto Zambotti	Gilera							Ret	0
Pos	Rider	Bike	FRA	MAN	HOL	BEL	GER	ULS	NAC	Pts

Colour	Result
Gold	Winner
Silver	Second place
Bronze	Third place
Green	Points classification
Blue	Non-points classification
Blue	Non-classified finish (NC)
Purple	Retired, not classified (Ret)
Red	Did not qualify (DNQ)
Red	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	Country	Machine	Points	Wins
1	John Surtees	United Kingdom	MV Agusta	22	2
2	Gary Hocking	Rhodesia	MV Agusta	22	2
3	John Hartle	United Kingdom	MV Agusta / Norton	18	1
4	Frantisek Stastny	Czechoslovakia	Jawa	12	0
5	Bob Anderson	United Kingdom	Norton	9	0
6	Bob Brown	Australia	Norton	6	0
7	Hugh Anderson	New Zealand	AJS	5	0
8	Dickie Dale	United Kingdom	Norton	5	0
9	Paddy Driver	South Africa	Norton	5	0
10	Bob McIntyre	United Kingdom	AJS	4	0
11	Derek Minter	United Kingdom	Norton	3	0
12	Ralph Rensen	United Kingdom	Norton	2	0
13	Frank Perris	United Kingdom	Norton	1	0
=	John Hempleman	New Zealand	Norton	1	0

250cc Standings

Place	Rider	Country	Machine	Points	Wins
1	Carlo Ubbiali	Italy	MV Agusta	32	4
2	Gary Hocking	Rhodesia	MV Agusta	28	2
3	Luigi Taveri	Switzerland	MV Agusta	11	0
4	Jim Redman	Rhodesia	Honda	10	0
5	Mike Hailwood	United Kingdom	FB-Mondial	8	0
6	Tom Phillis	Australia	Honda	6	0
7	Kunimitsu Takahashi	Japan	Honda	6	0
8	Ernst Degner	East Germany	MZ	5	0
9	Tarquinio Provini	Italy	Morini	4	0
=	Kenjirō Tanaka	Japan	Honda	4	0
11	Bob Brown	Australia	Honda	3	0
=	John Hempleman	New Zealand	MZ	3	0
=	Dickie Dale	United Kingdom	MZ	3	0
14	Moto Kitano	Japan	Honda	2	0
=	Alberto Pagani	Italy	Aermacchi	2	0
=	Gilberto Milani	Italy	Honda	2	0
17	Naomi Taniguchi	Japan	Honda	1	0
=	Günter Beer	West Germany	Adler	1	0
=	Yukio Satoh	Japan	Honda	1	0

125cc

Riders' standings

Pos.	Rider	Bike	MAN	NED	BEL	ULS	NAT	Pts
1	Carlo Ubbiali	MV Agusta	1^F	1^F	3	1	1	24 (36)
2	Gary Hocking	MV Agusta	2	2	5	2	5	18 (22)
3	Ernst Degner	MZ		5	1	3^F	3	16 (18)
4	Bruno Spaggiari	MV Agusta			4^F	4	2^F	12
5	John Hempleman	MZ	4		2^F	6		10
6	Luigi Taveri	MV Agusta	3			5		6
7	Jim Redman	Honda		4			4	6
8	Alberto Gandossi	MZ		3				4
9	Bob Anderson	MZ	5					2
10	Naomi Taniguchi	Honda	6					1
10	Giichi Suzuki	Honda		6				1
10	Mike Hailwood	Ducati			6			1
10	Kunimitsu Takahashi	Honda					6	1
Pos.	Rider	Bike	MAN	NED	BEL	ULS	NAT	Pts

Race key
Colour	Result
Gold	Winner
Silver	2nd place
Bronze	3rd place
Green	Points finish
Blue	Non-points finish
Blue	Non-classified finish (NC)
Purple	Retired (Ret)
Red	Did not qualify (DNQ)
Red	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	BEL	ULS	NAT	Pts
1	MV Agusta	1	1	3	1	1	24 (36)
2	MZ	4	3	1	3	3	16 (23)
3	Honda	6	4			4	7
4	Ducati			6			1
Pos.	Constructor	MAN	NED	BEL	ULS	NAT	Pts

References

Haefliger, Werner. "Lightweight class". FIM MotoGP Results 1949–2023 Guide (2024 ed.). pp. 38–39. 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.