The 1972 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 24th F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix season. The season consisted of twelve Grand Prix races in six classes: 500cc, 350cc, 250cc, 125cc, 50cc and Sidecars 500cc. It began on 30 April, with West German Grand Prix and ended with Spanish Grand Prix on 23 September.

Season summary

Another year, another championship for Giacomo Agostini, claiming a record 11 victories to take his seventh consecutive 500cc crown for MV Agusta.^[1] Things were tighter in the 350cc class with Jarno Saarinen giving Agostini a strong challenge by winning three races, including a victory at the German Grand Prix held at the daunting Nürburgring race track, where Saarinen defeated Agostini for the first time in a head-to-head race.^[2] Saarinen also scored a double victory at the Czechoslovakian Grand Prix with victories in both the 250cc and 350cc classes.^[3] The threat from Saarinen's two stroke Yamaha was so strong that the previously dominant MV Agusta factory was forced to produce a new 350cc motorcycle for Agostini.^[1]

In the 250cc division, Saarinen would win a tight race in a season-long battle with Renzo Pasolini and Rod Gould.^[1] Angel Nieto claimed a double, winning the 125cc and 50cc championships for Derbi before the Spanish factory announced its pull out from Grand Prix racing.^[1] The Yamaha factory won its first-ever 500cc Grand Prix race at the season ending Spanish Grand Prix at Jarama when Chas Mortimer won the race after Agostini sat out the event after already winning the championship,^[4]

This would be the final season for the East German Grand Prix as a championship race, as SED officials, troubled by fans singing Das Lied der Deutschen (the West German national anthem) after Dieter Braun's victory the previous season, limited entries to only Eastern Bloc nations beginning in 1973.

1972 Grand Prix season calendar

Round	Date	Grand Prix	Circuit	50cc winner	125cc winner	250cc winner	350cc winner	500cc winner	Sidecars 500cc winner	Report
1	30 April	German Grand Prix	Nürburgring Nordschleife	Jan de Vries	Gilberto Parlotti	Hideo Kanaya	Jarno Saarinen	Giacomo Agostini	Schauzu / Kalauch	Report
2	7 May	French Grand Prix	Charade		Gilberto Parlotti	Phil Read	Jarno Saarinen	Giacomo Agostini	Luthringshauser / Cusnik	Report
3	14 May	Austrian Grand Prix	Salzburgring		Angel Nieto	Börje Jansson	Giacomo Agostini	Giacomo Agostini	Enders / Engelhardt	Report
4	21 May	Nations Grand Prix	Imola	Jan de Vries	Angel Nieto	Renzo Pasolini	Giacomo Agostini	Giacomo Agostini		Report
5	9 June	Isle of Man TT	Snaefell Mountain		Chas Mortimer	Phil Read	Giacomo Agostini	Giacomo Agostini	Schauzu / Kalauch	Report
6	18 June	Yugoslavian Grand Prix	Opatija	Jan Bruins	Kent Andersson	Renzo Pasolini	János Drapál	Alberto Pagani		Report
7	24 June	Dutch TT	Assen	Angel Nieto	Angel Nieto	Rodney Gould	Giacomo Agostini	Giacomo Agostini	Enders / Engelhardt	Report
8	2 July	Belgian Grand Prix	Spa-Francorchamps	Angel Nieto	Angel Nieto	Jarno Saarinen		Giacomo Agostini	Enders / Engelhardt	Report
9	9 July	Grand Prix of the DRG	Sachsenring	Theo Timmer	Börje Jansson	Jarno Saarinen	Phil Read	Giacomo Agostini		Report
10	16 July	Czechoslovakian Grand Prix	Brno		Börje Jansson	Jarno Saarinen	Jarno Saarinen	Giacomo Agostini	Enders / Engelhardt	Report
11	23 July	Swedish Grand Prix	Anderstorp	Jan de Vries	Angel Nieto	Rodney Gould	Giacomo Agostini	Giacomo Agostini		Report
12	30 July	Finnish Grand Prix	Imatra		Kent Andersson	Jarno Saarinen	Giacomo Agostini	Giacomo Agostini	Vincent / Casey	Report
13	23 September	Spanish Grand Prix	Montjuïc	Angel Nieto	Kent Andersson	Renzo Pasolini	Bruno Kneubühler	Chas Mortimer		Report

Scoring system

Points were awarded to the top ten finishers in each race. Only the best of five races were counted on 50cc and Sidecars championships, while in the 125cc, 250cc, 350cc and 500cc championships, the best of seven races were counted.

500cc final standings

Pos Rider Machine GER FRA AUT NAC MAN YUG HOL BEL DDR CZE SWE FIN ESP Pts 1 Giacomo Agostini MV Agusta 1 1 1 1 1 Ret 1 1 1 1 1 1 105 (165) 2 Alberto Pagani MV Agusta 2 2 2 1 2 2 2 87 3 Bruno Kneubühler Yamaha 11 4 8 5 Ret 3 4 3 7 Ret 4 54 (57) 4 Rodney Gould Yamaha 3 2 4 2 3 52 5 Bo Granath Husqvarna 6 6 3 Ret 5 Ret 5 6 7 3 12 Ret 47 (51) 6 Chas Mortimer Yamaha 2 5 Ret 5 Ret 8 Ret 1 42 7 Dave Simmonds Kawasaki 4 Ret 4 Ret 4 5 2 42 8 Billie Nelson Honda / Yamaha / Paton 8 7 Ret Ret 9 8 5 9 4 6 31 (33) 9 Jack Findlay Jada-Suzuki 7 Ret Ret Ret Ret 6 Ret Ret 2 Ret Ret 3 31 10 Kim Newcombe König 3 10 12 Ret 3 Ret 5 Ret 27 11 Guido Mandracci Suzuki 8 2 Ret 4 10 Ret 24 12 Christian Bourgeois Yamaha Ret 2 5 Ret 9 20 13 Rob Bron Suzuki Ret 3 4 Ret 18 14 Sven-Olof Gunnarsson Kawasaki 12 Ret Ret Ret 6 6 Ret 5 16 15 Jerry Lancaster Yamaha / Suzuki 15 Ret Ret 9 7 7 11 7 14 16 Paul Eickleberg König 30 3 8 Ret Ret 13 17 Mick Grant Kawasaki 3 10 = Bruno Spaggiari Ducati 3 10 19 Gianpiero Zubani Kawasaki 6 Ret 7 9 20 Sergio Baroncini Ducati 9 7 8 14 9 21 Kevin Cowley Seeley-Matchless 4 8 = Hideo Kanaya Yamaha 4 8 = Paul Smart Ducati 4 8 24 Lothar John Yamaha / Suzuki 10 8 11 10 8 18 10 8 25 Piet Van der Wal Kawasaki Ret 13 8 7 7 26 Ernst Hiller König / Kawasaki 5 Ret Ret 6 = André Pogolotti Suzuki 5 Ret Ret 6 28 Derek Chatterton Yamaha 5 6 29 Eric Offenstadt Kawasaki / Yamaha Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret 6 Ret Ret 5 30 Charlie Dobson Kawasaki Ret 6 Ret Ret 5 31 Klaus Huber Kawasaki Ret 6 5 32 Pentti Korhonen Yamaha 6 5 = Charlie Williams Yamaha 6 5 34 Kurt-Ivan Carlsson Yamaha 14 9 Ret 13 12 Ret 10 Ret 9 5 35 Alois Maxwald Rotax Ret 7 11 4 36 Silvano Bertarelli Kawasaki / Paton 7 Ret 4 37 Selwyn Griffiths Matchless 7 4 38 Derek Lee Suzuki Ret Ret 8 Ret 3 39 Clive Brown Suzuki 8 3 = Getulio Marcaccini Aermacchi 8 3 41 Carlo Marelli Paton / Kawasaki 10 9 3 42 Arpád Juhos Metisse-Matchless / Aermacchi 9 15 2 43 Ken Araoka Kawasaki 9 Ret Ret Ret 2 44 Johnny Bengtsson Husqvarna-Proto Ret 9 2 45 Paul Cott Seeley 9 2 = Seppo Kangasniemi Yamaha 9 2 47 Roberto Gallina Paton Ret Ret 10 Ret 1 48 Maurice Hawthorne Kawasaki Ret Ret 10 1 49 Josef Özelt Matchless 10 Ret 1 50 Ulf Nilsson Suzuki 10 1 = Charlie Sanby Suzuki 10 1 52 Ron Chandler Kawasaki 13 Ret 11 0 53 Kai Kuparinen Suzuki / Kawasaki Ret Ret Ret 19 11 0 54 Ted Janssen Suzuki 27 Ret 11 0 55 Michael Schmid Yamaha 28 11 Ret 0 56 Terry Dennehy Honda Ret 11 Ret 0 57 Giordano Mongardi Ducati 11 Ret 0 58 Christian Leon Kawasaki 11 0 = Billy McCosh Suzuki 11 0 60 Gyula Marsovszky Linto Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret 12 Ret 0 61 Steve Ellis Yamaha Ret 12 Ret Ret Ret Ret 0 62 Morgan Radberg Monark Ret 12 0 63 Gustavo Cerdeña Suzuki 12 0 = John Hughes Matchless 12 0 = Stan Woods Suzuki 12 0 66 Heinz Schmid Suzuki 18 Ret Ret 13 0 67 Keith Turner Suzuki 13 Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret 0 68 Jean Campiche Linto Ret 13 Ret 0 69 Agne Carlsson Husqvarna 13 0 = Jeff Wade Yamaha 13 0 71 Kaarlo Koivuniemi Kawasaki 20 14 16 16 Ret 0 72 Börge Andersson Honda 23 14 0 73 Guy Cooremans Kawasaki 14 0 = Roger Nichols Suzuki 14 0 75 George Fogarty Cunningham-Suzuki 15 0 = Jean-Paul Passet Kawasaki 15 0 = Jerôme van Haeltert Kawasaki 15 0 = Sture Wass Kawasaki 15 0 79 Hans-Otto Butenuth BMW Ret 16 0 = Walter Rüngg Aermacchi 16 Ret 0 81 Garry Mateer Norton 16 0 82 Werner Bergold Kawasaki Ret 17 0 83 Pete Elmore Petty-Norton 17 0 = Jacques Roca Suzuki 17 0 = Hans-Jürgen Rothbrust Yamaha 17 0 = Claus Tarum Honda 17 0 87 Anssi Resko Kawasaki 18 Ret 0 88 Tom Dickie Cowles-Matchless 18 0 89 Horst Dzierzawa Yamaha 19 Ret 0 90 Brian Lee Aermacchi 19 0 91 Arne Andersson Suzuki 20 0 92 Ken Tilley Norton 20 0 93 Kurt-Harald Florin König 21 Ret Ret Ret Ret 0 94 Roger Bowler Mularny 21 0 95 Werner Giger Kawasaki 22 Ret 0 96 Raymond Ashcroft Yamaha 22 0 97 Hugh Evans Kawasaki 23 0 98 Udo Kochanski BMW 24 0 = Grahan Penny Honda 24 0 100 Willi Bertsch Kawasaki 25 Ret 0 101 Ken Kay Seeley 25 0 102 Sten-Gunnar Jansson Kawasaki 26 0 = Fred Walton Velocette-Metisse 26 0 104 Ron Baylie Triumph 27 0 105 Walter Dawson Yamaha 28 0 106 Otto Labitzke Honda 29 0 = Chris Neve Seeley 29 0 108 Tom Loughridge Crooks-Suzuki 30 0 109 Abe Alexander Seeley 31 0 110 Jim Ashton Seeley 32 0 111 Tom Waterer Norton 33 0 112 Ernie Johnson Suzuki 34 0 113 Geoff Barry Oakley-Seeley 35 0 – Karl Auer Kawasaki Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret 0 – Cliff Carr Kawasaki Ret Ret Ret 0 – André-Luc Appietto Kawasaki Ret Ret Ret 0 – Godfrey Nash Honda Ret Ret Ret 0 – Bohumil Stasa ČZ Ret Ret Ret 0 – Gérard Debrock Kawasaki Ret Ret 0 – Wil Hartog Riemanoc / Yamaha Ret Ret 0 – Kari Lahtinen Yamaha Ret Ret 0 – Bob Biscardine Norton Ret 0 – Jeff Boniface Kettle-Norton Ret 0 – Hans Braumandl Rotax Ret 0 – Peter Breingan Honda Ret 0 – Robert Browne Norton Ret 0 – Paolo Campanelli Kawasaki Ret 0 – Doug Cash Norton Ret 0 – Gérard Chamard Kawasaki Ret 0 – Gérard Chaperon Seeley Ret 0 – Eric Clark Seeley Ret 0 – John Dodds Yamaha Ret 0 – Derek Filler Seeley Ret 0 – Dave Foulkes Norton Ret 0 – Rudolf Fröhling Honda Ret 0 – Bill Fulton Stafford-Matchless Ret 0 – Roger Fursman Seeley Ret 0 – Alex George Kawasaki Ret 0 – Andreas Georgeades Honda / ASG Ret 0 – Roger Graham Cowles-Matchless Ret 0 – Don Grant Norton Ret 0 – Terry Grotefeld Yamaha Ret 0 – René Guilli Kawasaki Ret 0 – Billie Guthrie Dugdale-Yamaha Ret 0 – David Harris Yamaha Ret 0 – Don Harris Yamaha Ret 0 – Keith Heckles Norton Ret 0 – Ari Heikkilä AMC-Sachs Ret 0 – Bill Henderson Seeley-Yamaha Ret 0 – Gerhard Heukerott Benelli Ret 0 – Ivan Hodgkinson Granby-Suzuki Ret 0 – Ewald Hüttlin Kawasaki Ret 0 – Tony Jefferies Suzuki Ret 0 – Walter Kaletsch Yamaha Ret 0 – Brian Kemp Suzuki Ret 0 – Ray Knight Hughes-Triumph Ret 0 – David Knowles Matchless-Metisse Ret 0 – Jiri Kral ČZ Ret 0 – Alan Lawton Norton Ret 0 – Mario Lega Ducati Ret 0 – Pentti Lehtelä Yamaha Ret 0 – Giuseppe Mandolini Aermacchi Ret 0 – Hans-Josef Martinek ČZ Ret 0 – Malcom Moffatt Seeley Ret 0 – Brian Moses Norton Ret 0 – Steve Moynihan Norton Ret 0 – Garth Neveling Norton Ret 0 – Lars Pahlsson Suzuki Ret 0 – Giovanni Perrone Kawasaki Ret 0 – Norman Price Mularny-Norton Ret 0 – Eman Quirenz Jawa Ret 0 – Robert Ramsey Matchless Ret 0 – Phil Read Yamaha Ret 0 – Dudley Robinson Padgett-Kawasaki Ret 0 – Nigel Rollason Yamaha Ret 0 – Roger Ruiz Honda Ret 0 – Claes-Göran Samuelsson Suzuki Ret 0 – Barry Smith Kawasaki Ret 0 – John Stanley Seeley Ret 0 – Wolfgang Stephan Honda Ret 0 – Peter Stocksiefen Honda Ret 0 – Anders Sundberg Kawasaki Ret 0 – Roger Sutcliffe Suzuki Ret 0 – Brian Taggart Norton Ret 0 – Thierry Tchernine Yamaha Ret 0 – Jupp Tröblinger König Ret 0 – Dennis Trollope Yamaha Ret 0 – Mike van Aken König Ret 0 – Brian Warburton Yamaha Ret 0 – Peter Williams Arter Matchless Ret 0 – John Williams Arter Matchless Ret 0 – Benedetto Zambotti Kawasaki Ret 0 Pos Rider Bike GER FRA AUT NAC MAN YUG HOL BEL DDR CZE SWE FIN ESP Pts

Colour Result Gold Winner Silver Second place Bronze Third 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) Bold – Pole Italics – Fastest Lap

1972 350 cc Roadracing World Championship final standings

Place	Rider	Number	Country	Machine	Points	Wins
1	Giacomo Agostini	1	Italy	MV Agusta	102	6
2	Jarno Saarinen	2	Finland	Yamaha	89	3
3	Renzo Pasolini		Italy	Aermacchi	78	0
4	Dieter Braun		West Germany	Yamaha	54	0
5	Phil Read	16	United Kingdom	MV Agusta	51	1
6	Bruno Kneubühler		Switzerland	Yamaha	45	1
7	Teuvo Lansivuori	10	Finland	Yamaha	42	0
7	János Drapál		Hungary	Yamaha	42	1
9	Hideo Kanaya		Japan	Yamaha	41	0
10	Jack Findlay	32	Australia	Yamaha	41	0

1972 250 cc Roadracing World Championship final standings

Place	Rider	Number	Country	Machine	Points	Wins
1	Jarno Saarinen	3	Finland	Yamaha	94	4
2	Renzo Pasolini	28	Italy	Aermacchi	93	3
3	Rodney Gould	2	United Kingdom	Yamaha	88	2
4	Phil Read	1	United Kingdom	Yamaha	58	2
5	Teuvo Lansivuori	22	Finland	Yamaha	46	0
6	John Dodds	4	Australia	Yamaha	42	0
7	Kent Andersson	14	Sweden	Yamaha	39	0
8	Börje Jansson		Sweden	Maico	36	1
9	Silvio Grassetti	7	Italy	MZ	30	0
10	Werner Pfirter	20	Switzerland	Yamaha	28	0

1972 125 cc Roadracing World Championship final standings

Place	Rider	Number	Country	Machine	Points	Wins
1	Angel Nieto	1	Spain	Derbi	97	5
2	Kent Andersson	9	Sweden	Yamaha	87	3
3	Chas Mortimer	5	United Kingdom	Yamaha	87	1
4	Börje Jansson	3	Sweden	Maico	78	1
5	Gilberto Parlotti	8	Italy	Morbidelli	52	2
6	Dave Simmonds	6	United Kingdom	Kawasaki	44	0
7	Harald Bartol		Austria	Suzuki	37	0
8	Dieter Braun	4	West Germany	Maico	25	0
9	Jos Schurgers		Netherlands	Bridgestone	23	0
10	Bernd Köhlar	23	East Germany	MZ	23	0

1972 50 cc Roadracing World Championship final standings

Place	Rider	Number	Country	Machine	Points	Wins
1	Angel Nieto	2	Spain	Derbi	69	3
2	Jan de Vries	1	Netherlands	Kreidler	69	3
3	Theo Timmer		Netherlands	Jamathi	50	1
4	Jan Bruins	10	Netherlands	Kreidler	39	1
5	Otello Buscherini		Italy	Malanca	32	0
6	Hans Hummel		Austria	Kreidler	26	0
7	Harald Bartol		Austria	Kreidler	26	0
8	Jan Huberts		Netherlands	Kreidler	25	0
9	Rudolf Kunz	4	West Germany	Kreidler	17	0
10	Benjamin Grau		Spain	Derbi	12	0