Retrospective: The season did not always start at Losail – 1/2

This has not escaped you: Portimão succeeds losail as the opening Grand Prix of the world championship. We were now used to watching the return of our heroes to the Qatari spotlight, but due to work, Losail was relegated at the end of the year, just before Valencia. The perfect opportunity to return to the different circuits which opened the season, with their specificities.

The very first world championship organized by the FIM in 1949 began at Tourist trophy, a legendary test if ever there was one. In the 1950s, the start of the World Cup was not well defined, because it did not represent something exceptional. The competition had less than ten events, and we had to start somewhere. We put down our suitcases in Spain, near Montjuïch in 1951, then Berne in 1952 and even in France, Reims in 1954. This alternation between these countries, the FRG in addition, lasts until the dawn of the 1960s, where a certain recurrence sets in.

In fact, the Spanish track of Montjuïch, on the heights of Barcelona, ​​is preferred to the Tourist Trophy, visited later in the year. Interestingly, the 500cc does not race, and always starts on the Isle of Man. Daytona shows up, and is at the top of the list during the 1964 and 1965 seasons. Then, the calendar gets carried away.

 

The roaring 1970s were marked by a rapidly expanding organization, but with an extremely flexible schedule. Circuits come, go, are never run again... it's difficult to hang on to dates like we do these days, where certain events are tradition. We take this opportunity to start by Argentina in Venezuela, in Austria, we return to France, whether on the Paul ricard or at Le Mans, and even at Charade. And why not start at the Grand Prix des Nations, an equally historic event. THE Salzburgring, in Austria, also had the right to receive first. But in 1980, the race planned for April was canceled due to…snow.

 

In general, when they are available, we try to go as far as possible so as not to rush the transport of the equipment. Thus, each time a distant Grand Prix is ​​added to the calendar, it often acts as a start. This is the case of Kyalami at the beginning of the 1980s. You should know that the motorcycling world was really lagging behind Formula 1, which was already much more professional and global. At the time, we weren't talking about "Asian tours", or even American getaways; races were rare elsewhere than in Europe. To give you an idea, no round was organized outside the old continent in 1986, which is ultimately very recent.

But everything changed in 1987. This time, the Japan opened the season, and we ended with a semblance of a South American trip, with a GP in Brazil then in Argentina. One could believe that Japan would come and then pass, but Suzuka establishes itself permanently as the opening round. For six years, the stars Eddie Lawson, Kevin Schwantz, Wayne Rainey and other Wayne Gardner exchanged blows on this legendary track. It set the tone for the season.

That's all for today ! See you tomorrow, same time, for the rest of this retrospective. Tell us what you thought about it in the comments!

 

Cover photo: Tokumeigakarinoashima