The 1989 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 41st F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship season.
Eddie Lawson (pictured at Suzuka) became the 500cc world champion
Sito Pons (pictured at Suzuka) became the 250cc world champion
Defending champion Eddie Lawson stunned most observers by switching from the Yamaha to Honda in the offseason then proceeded to win the championship, becoming the first man to win two consecutive 500cc championships on two different brands. On why he left Yamaha for Honda: "Giacomo Agostini , the Marlboro Yamaha team manager, started playing games, saying stuff like, 'I don't know if we can pay you the same as we did in 1988.' I'd just won my third title, so that was tough to hear. Also, I found out Ago was talking to Kevin Schwantz. I met with Erv and told him that I needed a change. When Marlboro discovered I was talking with Honda, they doubled their offer, but it was too late. I actually took a pay cut to ride the Honda." [ 1]
Wayne Rainey and Kevin Schwantz continued to perform impressively while Freddie Spencer made a less than successful comeback attempt with the Marlboro Yamaha team. Australian Wayne Gardner was out for most of the season after breaking his leg at Laguna Seca but not before winning the inaugural Grand Prix in his home country. Another Australian made his Grand Prix debut for the Rothmans Honda team with Mick Doohan scoring a third-place finish at the Hockenheimring . The FIM awarded half points for the rain-drenched Belgian Grand Prix after organisers restarted the race three times contrary to FIM race regulations. The Nations Grand Prix at Misano was boycotted by most of the top riders for safety reasons.
Sito Pons won a second consecutive 250 championship for Honda while Spanish teenager, Àlex Crivillé won the 125 crown on a Rotax -powered JJ Cobas motorcycle designed by Antonio Cobas . Derbi rider Manuel Herreros had the honor of winning the final 80cc world championship as the class would be discontinued after 1989.
1989 Grand Prix season calendar
edit
The following Grands Prix were scheduled to take place in 1989:[ 2] [ 3]
Team
Constructor
Motorcycle
No.
Rider
Rounds
Team Rothmans/Kanemoto Honda
Honda
Honda NSR500
1
Eddie Lawson
1–4, 6–15
Rothmans Honda/HRC
Honda
Honda NSR500
2
Wayne Gardner
1–3, 9–13, 15
17
Roger Burnett
12
27
Mick Doohan
1–11, 15
Team Lucky Strike Roberts
Yamaha
Yamaha YZR500
3
Wayne Rainey
1–4, 6–15
5
Kevin Magee
1–3, 6–15
Team Roberts
Yamaha
Yamaha YZR500
49
John Kocinski
10
Team Gauloises Blondes Mobil 1
Yamaha
Yamaha YZR500
4
Christian Sarron
1–4, 6–15
Marlboro Yamaha Team Agostini
Yamaha
Yamaha YZR500
6
Niall Mackenzie
1–4, 6, 8–15
19
Freddie Spencer
1–4, 6–11
53
Luca Cadalora
12
25
Alberto Rota
14
Team Elf Honda/ROC
Honda
Honda NSR500
7
Dominique Sarron
1–4, 6–8, 12, 15
55 56
Adrien Morillas
11, 13–15
Team Pepsi Suzuki
Suzuki
Suzuki RGV500
8
Ron Haslam
1–4, 6–9, 12–15
34
Kevin Schwantz
All
HB Honda Gallina Team
Honda
Honda NSR500
9
Pierfrancesco Chili
All
33 84
Fred Merkel
5, 11–12
Cabin Racing Team
Honda
Honda NSR500
10
Rob McElnea
6–15
25
Bubba Shobert
1–3
Cagiva Corse
Cagiva
Cagiva C589
12
Randy Mamola
1–4, 6–11, 14–15
29
Massimo Broccoli
4–6
29
Raymond Roche
11
HRK Motors
Honda
Honda RS500
14
Michael Rudroff
2–9, 14
54 56
Cees Doorakkers
9–12, 14
Team Iberna
Yamaha
Yamaha YZR500
15
Alessandro Valesi
All
Team Greco - Paton
Paton
Paton V115 500
16
Marco Papa
4–5, 8–12, 14
Tech-21/Team Yamaha
Yamaha
Yamaha YZR500
21
Tadahiko Taira
1–4, 13–14
Yamaha [Tech-21]
Yamaha
Yamaha YZR500
26
Norihiko Fujiwara
1
5–6
Römer Racing Switzerland
Honda
Honda RS500
24
Bruno Kneubühler
3–4, 6–14
Marlboro Fior Team
Fior
Fior C89
32
Marco Gentile
1–12
Racing Team Katayama
Honda
Honda RS500
35 46 36
Simon Buckmaster
All
44
Ian Pratt
4, 12
54
Fabio Biliotti
11–14
??
Honda
Honda RS500
35
Josef Doppler
4–7, 9–10, 12, 14
Racing Team Librenti Corse
Librenti Suzuki
Librenti 500 Suzuki RG 500
36 37
Andy Leuthe
4–5, 8–9, 11–14
??
Honda
Honda RS500
40 33
Fernando González
1–8, 10–12, 14–15
Club Moto Cross Pozuelo
Honda
Honda RS500
41 30
Juan López Mella
4–7, 9, 11–15
??
Honda
Honda RS500
56 38
Niggi Schmassman
2–15
Marlboro
Yamaha
Yamaha YZR500
42
Michael Dowson
2
HRC
Honda
Honda NSR500
11
Shunji Yatsushiro
1
Source: [ 4]
Key
Regular Rider
Wildcard Rider
Replacement Rider
Team
Constructor
Motorcycle
No.
Rider
Rounds
Campsa Honda Team
Honda
Honda NSR250
1
Sito Pons
All
Ducados Yamaha Team
Yamaha
Yamaha YZR 250
2
Joan Garriga
All
Team Lucky Strike Elf
Honda
Honda NSR250
3
Jacques Cornu
All
Aprilia Racing Team
Aprilia-Rotax
Aprilia AF1
4
Didier de Radiguès
All
18
Iván Palazzese
2–5
Aprilia
Aprilia-Rotax
Aprilia AF1
59
Marcellino Lucchi
6, 9
HB Römer Team
Honda
Honda NSR250
5
Reinhold Roth
All
Marlboro Yamaha Team Agostini
Yamaha
Yamaha YZR 250
6
Luca Cadalora
All
Team Gauloises Blondes Yamaha
Yamaha
Yamaha YZR 250
7
Jean-Philippe Ruggia
1–11
Team Repsol Honda
Honda
Honda NSR250
8
Carlos Cardús
All
Ajinomoto Honda/HRC
Honda
Honda NSR250
9
Masahiro Shimizu
1–7, 9–15
FMV
Honda
Honda RS250R
10
Carlos Lavado
1-8
Team Rudy Project
Aprilia-Rotax
Aprilia AF1
10
Carlos Lavado
9–15
31
Fabio Barchitta
1–6
HB CR1 Racing Team Honda
Honda
Honda NSR250
13
Loris Reggiani
1–4, 6–12, 15
Team Hein Gericke
Aprilia-Rotax
Aprilia AF1
14
Martin Wimmer
1–13, 15
Yamaha TZ 250
55 37
Bernhard Schick
??
Levior
Yamaha
Yamaha TZ 250
15
Manfred Herweh
7, 10, 12–14
Hostettler / SPI
Yamaha
Yamaha TZ 250
16
August Auinger
1–14
HB Rallye Sport Team
Honda
Honda NSR250
17
Helmut Bradl
All
Team Yamaha
Yamaha
Yamaha YZR 250
19
John Kocinski
1, 3
Team Uvex Aprilia Telefix
Aprilia-Rotax
Aprilia AF1
20
Harald Eckl
All
Team Italia
Aprilia-Rotax
Aprilia AF1
21
Fausto Ricci
1–4, 7–14
52 54
Alberto Rota
14
Team Elit
Aprilia-Rotax
Aprilia AF1
22
Renzo Colleoni
4–12, 14–15
SK Vöst
Aprilia-Rotax
Aprilia AF1
23
Andy Preining
1–14
Racing Team Katayama
Honda
Honda RS250R
24
Andy Leisner
??
RTK Lotus Quartz
Honda
Honda NSR250
40 49
Daniel Amatriaín
1–14
Venemotos Racing Team
Yamaha
Yamaha TZ 250
25
Alex Barros
1–3, 5, 7–15
26
Luis Lavado
1–2, 10–11, 14–15
Yamaha Racing Team
Yamaha
Yamaha YZR 250
28
Toshihiko Honma
1, 11–13
Team Ducados Yamaha Puig
Yamaha
Yamaha TZ 250
30
Alberto Puig
All
Samson Sharp Racing
Honda
Honda RS250R
32
Wilco Zeelenberg
4–14
Docshop Wevamed Racing Team
Yamaha
Yamaha TZ 250
33
Garry Cowan
All
50 48
Patrick van den Goorbergh
1–2, 4, 8–14
Team Ciampini
Honda
Honda RS250R
35
Stefano Caracchi
3–6, 8–10, 12–14
St Yrian Motos
Yamaha
Yamaha TZ 250
36
Jean Foray
2–5, 7–8, 11, 13–14
Schwabengarage & Reifenzenter Zürn
Honda
Honda RS250R
38 41
Jochen Schmid
1–8, 11–15
D Gallacher/Bradgate Containers
Yamaha
Yamaha TZ 250
39
Kevin Mitchell
1, 4, 7–8, 11–12
Motul Forza Shoei
Yamaha
Yamaha TZ 250
41 44
Jean-François Baldé
1–3, 5–9, 12–15
Clermont Ferrand
Yamaha
Yamaha TZ 250
43
Adrien Morillas
11, 13–15
Aprilia France
Aprilia-Rotax
Aprilia AF1
45
Alain Bronec
4–8, 10–15
Nava Racing Team
Seel-Yamaha
Yamaha TZ 250
46 34
Hans Becker
5–13
AGV Pileri LM
Honda
Honda RS250R
51 59 45
Paolo Casoli
1–2, 4, 11–15
70 46 48 42
Maurizio Vitali
5–14
Swiss Yamaha Team
Yamaha
Yamaha TZ 250
56 50
Urs Jücker
5, 8, 14
??
Yamaha
Yamaha TZ 250
57
Darren Milner
2
Cabin Racing Honda
Honda
Honda NSR250
58
Tadayuki Okada
1
Gazzaniga Corse
Gazzaniga
Gazzaniga 250 GP
60 46
Virginio Ferrari
6–7, 14
Edwin Honda
Honda
Honda NSR250
65
Jim Filice
1, 3
Yamaha Racing Team
Yamaha
Yamaha YZR 250
57
Toshinobu Shiomori
1
Source: [ 5]
Key
Regular Rider
Wildcard Rider
Replacement Rider
Results and standings
edit
500cc riders' standings
edit
Scoring system
Points are awarded to the top fifteen finishers. A rider has to finish the race to earn points.
Position
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
9th
10th
11th
12th
13th
14th
15th
Points
20
17
15
13
11
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1