1985 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season
Sports season
The 1985 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 37th F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship season.
Season summary
Honda's Freddie Spencer gave a dominating performance becoming the first man to win the 250 and 500 championships in the same year. Defending champion Eddie Lawson finished in second with former 250 world champion, Christian Sarron coming in third. Sarron's victory at the German Grand Prix would mark the first 500cc Grand Prix victory for a non-American rider since the 1982 Swedish Grand Prix. Australian Wayne Gardner showed promise with a fourth-place finish for Honda.
With perennial champion Angel Nieto moving to the 80cc class, the 125 class was left open for his Garelli teammate, Fausto Gresini to clinch the title, giving the Italian team its fourth consecutive championship. Swiss Stefan Dörflinger would take his fourth consecutive title in the 80cc class. Angel Nieto won his 90th and final Grand Prix victory in the 80cc round in France, at the time second only to Giacomo Agostini, but since surpassed by Valentino Rossi.[1]
1985 Grand Prix season calendar
The following Grands Prix were scheduled to take place in 1985:[2][3]
†† = Saturday race
Calendar changes
Results and standings
Grands Prix
Participants
500cc participants
Team
|
Constructor
|
Motorcycle
|
No.
|
Rider
|
Rounds
|
Marlboro Team Agostini
|
Yamaha
|
Yamaha YZR500 (OW 81)
|
1
|
Eddie Lawson
|
All
|
3
|
Raymond Roche
|
All
|
26
|
Tadahiko Taira
|
4–5
|
Rothmans Honda/Mamola
|
Honda
|
Honda NS500 Honda NSR500
|
2
|
Randy Mamola
|
All
|
Rothmans Honda/HRC
|
Honda
|
Honda NSR500
|
4
|
Freddie Spencer
|
1–11
|
Rothmans Honda Britain
|
Honda
|
Honda NS500
|
5
|
Ron Haslam
|
All
|
Honda NS500 Honda NSR500
|
7
|
Wayne Gardner
|
All
|
Honda RS500
|
22
|
Roger Burnett
|
10
|
51
|
Roger Marshall
|
10
|
Team Gauloises Yamaha
|
Yamaha
|
Yamaha YZR500 (OW 81)
|
6
|
Christian Sarron
|
All
|
Shell-Toshiba Racing Team
|
Honda
|
Honda RS500
|
8
|
Boet van Dulmen
|
All
|
Team Honda Benelux-Elf
|
Honda
|
Honda NS500
|
9
|
Didier de Radiguès
|
All
|
57 63
|
Pierre-Etienne Samin
|
7, 9
|
Team Elf c/o ROC
|
Elf-Honda
|
Elf 2
|
34 39 32 31 36 44 53 45 40 33
|
Christian Le Liard
|
All
|
Cagiva
|
Cagiva
|
Cagiva C10
|
10
|
Virginio Ferrari
|
12
|
58 43
|
Marco Lucchinelli
|
6–8, 12
|
Chevallier
|
Chevallier-Honda
|
Honda RS500
|
12
|
Thierry Espié
|
1, 6–8, 10–12
|
HB Suzuki GP Team
|
Suzuki
|
Suzuki RG500 (XR70)
|
13
|
Franco Uncini
|
1, 3–12
|
30
|
Sito Pons
|
All
|
Racing Team Katayama
|
Honda
|
Honda RS500 Bakker
|
14
|
Takazumi Katayama
|
2–3, 5–8
|
Skoal Bandit Heron Suzuki
|
Suzuki
|
Suzuki RG500 (XR70)
|
19 33
|
Rob McElnea
|
All
|
55 25
|
Paul Lewis
|
10, 12
|
??
|
Honda
|
Honda RS500
|
20
|
Eero Hyvärinen
|
2–12
|
Myers Motorcycles
|
Suzuki
|
Suzuki RGB500
|
21
|
Gary Lingham
|
3–5, 10
|
??
|
Paton
|
Paton V 90 BM 4
|
27
|
Massimo Broccoli
|
1–2, 4–6
|
Zwafink + Wilbers Racing
|
Honda
|
Honda RS500 Bakker
|
28
|
Gustav Reiner
|
1, 6–12
|
SDC Builders
|
Honda
|
Honda RS500
|
29
|
Keith Huewen
|
1, 3–5, 10
|
Team Italia
|
Honda
|
Honda RS500
|
32 31 34 16
|
Fabio Biliotti
|
All
|
42 38 39 31
|
Armando Errico
|
2–3, 6–12
|
57 51 36 50 48 32
|
Massimo Messere
|
1, 6–12
|
Michael Baldwin Racing
|
Honda
|
Honda NS500
|
33 31 18 11
|
Mike Baldwin
|
All
|
Sid Griffiths Racing/Duckhams
|
Suzuki
|
Suzuki RGB500
|
33 36 43
|
Simon Buckmaster
|
2–3, 5, 9–11
|
Team Arnetoli
|
Suzuki Paton
|
Suzuki RGB500 Paton V 90 BM 4
|
41 38
|
Marco Papa
|
3–4, 6–8, 12
|
Kreepy Krauly Racing Team
|
Honda
|
Honda RS500
|
42 54 49 38 33 32
|
Dave Petersen
|
All
|
DAF Trucks
|
Honda
|
Honda RS500
|
46 62
|
Karl Truchsess
|
3–5, 7, 10, 12
|
Frankonia Suzuki
|
Suzuki
|
Suzuki RGB500
|
47 52 34
|
Wolfgang von Muralt
|
All
|
Nimag/Oud Bier
|
Suzuki
|
Suzuki RGB500
|
52 56 37
|
Rob Punt
|
5, 7–12
|
Stichting Nederlands Racing Team
|
Honda
|
Honda RS500
|
53 43
|
Henk van der Mark
|
2, 4–5, 7–8
|
54
|
Mile Pajic
|
2, 7–8
|
Jim Finlay Racing
|
Suzuki
|
Suzuki RGB500
|
60 59
|
Neil Robinson
|
2–4, 8–10
|
??
|
Suzuki
|
Suzuki RGB500
|
??
|
Andy Leuthe
|
4, 6, 9, 11–12
|
Source:[4]
|
|
Key
|
Regular Rider
|
Wildcard Rider
|
Replacement Rider
|
|
250cc participants
Team
|
Constructor
|
Motorcycle
|
No.
|
Rider
|
Rounds
|
Massa Racing Racing Team
|
Real-Rotax
|
??
|
2
|
Manfred Herweh
|
1, 7–12
|
Venemotos Racing Team
|
Yamaha
|
Yamaha OW17
|
3
|
Carlos Lavado
|
All
|
16
|
Iván Palazzese
|
1–5
|
Agrati Garelli
|
Garelli
|
??
|
4
|
Ángel Nieto
|
??
|
32
|
Maurizio Vitali
|
1–2, 4–5, 9, 12
|
Marlboro Team Toni Mang
|
Honda
|
Honda RS250R
|
5
|
Anton Mang
|
All
|
Team Parisienne-Elf
|
Honda Parisienne
|
Honda RS250R ??
|
6
|
Jacques Cornu
|
All
|
Parisienne Honda
|
?? Honda RS250R
|
41 44
|
Pierre Bolle
|
3–12
|
Lui-Yamaha Racing Team
|
Yamaha
|
Yamaha OW17
|
7
|
Martin Wimmer
|
1–8
|
Donington Park
|
Honda
|
Honda RS250R
|
9
|
Alan Carter
|
All
|
Venemotos Racing Team
|
Pernod Yamaha
|
Pernod 250GP Yamaha OW17
|
10
|
Jean-François Baldé
|
1–3, 6, 8–12
|
62
|
Jacques Onda
|
??
|
Römer Racing Team
|
Yamaha
|
Yamaha OW17
|
13
|
Reinhold Roth
|
1–4, 6, 10–12
|
48 44
|
Harald Eckl
|
1, 3–4, 6–7, 9–11
|
Honda
|
Honda RS250R
|
61
|
Karl Grässel
|
3–5
|
E.S.T.
|
Yamaha
|
Yamaha OW17
|
14
|
Jean-Michel Mattioli
|
1–4, 6–12
|
Promoto E.S.T.
|
Cobas Scrab
|
?? ??
|
15
|
Patrick Fernandez
|
1–3, 5–6
|
Monnet Racing
|
EBB
|
??
|
17
|
August Auinger
|
2–8, 10–12
|
Rothmans Honda/HRC
|
Honda
|
Honda NSR250
|
19
|
Freddie Spencer
|
1–10
|
Exactweld GB Ltd
|
Exactweld EMC
|
?? ??
|
20
|
Gary Noel
|
11–12
|
??
|
Yamaha
|
Yamaha OW17
|
21
|
Philippe Pagano
|
??
|
??
|
Yamaha
|
Yamaha OW17
|
22
|
Jean-luc Guillemet
|
9
|
??
|
Yamaha Cobas
|
Yamaha OW17 ??
|
25
|
Vincenzo Cascino
|
??
|
Team Heukerott
|
Yamaha
|
Yamaha OW17
|
27
|
Mario Rademeyer
|
1, 9–10, 12
|
Ernie Coates Racing
|
Honda
|
Honda RS250R
|
29
|
Joey Dunlop
|
10
|
Team Italia
|
Malanca MBA
|
Malanca 250 GP ??
|
30
|
Stefano Caracchi
|
4, 7–12
|
Rothmans Honda Italia
|
Honda
|
Honda RS250R
|
35 33 37
|
Fausto Ricci
|
1–2, 4–12
|
J.J. Cobas
|
Cobas-Rotax
|
??
|
35 33
|
Carlos Cardús
|
All
|
40 46 45
|
Joan Garriga
|
1–6, 8–12
|
Team Yamaha Total
|
Yamaha
|
Yamaha OW17
|
36 34
|
Stéphane Mertens
|
1–2, 7–12
|
Silverstone Armstrong GP Team
|
Armstrong-Rotax
|
Armstrong CF250
|
39 36 53
|
Donnie Mcleod
|
1–8, 11–12
|
62 67 49 59
|
Niall Mackenzie
|
All
|
??
|
Cobas
|
??
|
39
|
Luis Miguel Reyes
|
1–4, 7–9, 11
|
??
|
Chevallier-Yamaha
|
Yamaha OW17
|
40 46
|
Jean Foray
|
2–3, 6–12
|
Aprilia Racing Team
|
Aprilia-Rotax
|
??
|
41
|
Loris Reggiani
|
1, 3–8, 12
|
Höstettler/Yamaha
|
Yamaha
|
Yamaha OW17
|
43 42
|
Roland Freymond
|
2–12
|
Höstettler/Yamaha
|
Rotax
|
??
|
43
|
Hans Lindner
|
3, 5–8
|
RS Rallye Sport
|
Yamaha
|
Yamaha OW17
|
47 1 40
|
Siegfried Minich
|
1, 3–12
|
Antonio Gutierrez
|
Arbizu-Rotax
|
??
|
48
|
Geoff Fowler
|
??
|
M.I.G
|
MIG-Rotax
|
??
|
49 38
|
Jean-Louis Guignabodet
|
2–12
|
Ehrlich Automotive Ltd.
|
EMC-Rotax
|
??
|
50
|
Andy Watts
|
??
|
Dieter Braun PVM Team
|
Yamaha
|
Yamaha OW17
|
51
|
Hans Becker
|
1, 3, 5–8, 10
|
??
|
Kobas
|
??
|
53
|
Antonio Garcia Moreno
|
??
|
??
|
Yamaha-KYF
|
Yamaha OW17
|
54
|
Michel Galbit
|
2–3, 5–6, 11
|
Segura
|
Yamaha
|
Yamaha OW17
|
55 42 47
|
Thierry Rapicault
|
2–7, 9–11
|
??
|
Yamaha Rotax
|
Yamaha OW17 ??
|
55
|
Edwin Weibel
|
8
|
Rothmans Honda France
|
Honda
|
Honda RS250R
|
67 63 60
|
Dominique Sarron
|
3–12
|
70
|
Patrick Igoa
|
2, 8–9
|
??
|
Morena Rotax
|
?? ??
|
69
|
René Délaby
|
4, 6–8, 12
|
??
|
Yamaha Kobas
|
Yamaha OW17 ??
|
72
|
Antonio Neto
|
4–5, 9–12
|
Source: [5]
|
|
Key
|
Regular Rider
|
Wildcard Rider
|
Replacement Rider
|
|
500cc riders' standings
[6]
- Scoring system
Points are awarded to the top ten finishers. A rider has to finish the race to earn points.
Position
|
1st
|
2nd
|
3rd
|
4th
|
5th
|
6th
|
7th
|
8th
|
9th
|
10th
|
Points
|
15
|
12
|
10
|
8
|
6
|
5
|
4
|
3
|
2
|
1
|
|
|