1989 British motorcycle Grand Prix

  1989 British Grand Prix

Race details
Race 12 of 15 races in the 1989 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season
Date	6 August 1989
Location	Donington
Course	Permanent racing facility 4.023 km (2.5 mi)
500 cc
Pole position
Rider	Kevin Schwantz
Time	1:34.050
Fastest lap
Rider	Eddie Lawson
Time	1:34.510
Podium
First	Kevin Schwantz
Second	Eddie Lawson
Third	Wayne Rainey
250 cc
Pole position
Rider	Luca Cadalora
Time	1:38.310
Fastest lap
Rider	Sito Pons
Time	1:38.330
Podium
First	Sito Pons
Second	Reinhold Roth
Third	Masahiro Shimizu
125 cc
Pole position
Rider	Hans Spaan
Time	1:43.750
Fastest lap
Rider	Hans Spaan
Time	1:44.670
Podium
First	Hans Spaan
Second	Àlex Crivillé
Third	Ezio Gianola

The 1989 British motorcycle Grand Prix was the twelfth round of the 1989 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. It took place on the weekend of 4–6 August 1989 at Donington Park.

500 cc race report

Luca Cadalora is brought in to replace Freddie Spencer, who’s been released by team manager Giacomo Agostini.

In the first lap Wayne Rainey’s in front of a group of 4 riders, with Kevin Schwantz, Christian Sarron and Eddie Lawson. Rainey and Schwantz trade the lead, while Niall Mackenzie comes up from behind. Mackenzie is having a good day, as he passes Lawson and Rainey to move into second behind Schwantz. Mackenzie takes the lead for half a lap, but Schwantz gets it back at the chicane, and soon Lawson passes him as well. Wayne Gardner retires with a mechanical.

Rainey passes Mackenzie, but Schwantz and Lawson have gotten far ahead. Schwantz takes the win from Lawson by a few bike lengths, and Rainey comes in third. With 3 rounds to go, Lawson is less than 7 points away from Rainey with 60 points still to be decided.

500 cc classification

Pos	Rider	Manufacturer	Time/Retired	Points
1	Kevin Schwantz	Suzuki	47:45.670	20
2	Eddie Lawson	Honda	+0.970	17
3	Wayne Rainey	Yamaha	+8.600	15
4	Niall Mackenzie	Yamaha	+10.940	13
5	Christian Sarron	Yamaha	+28.310	11
6	Kevin Magee	Yamaha	+38.490	10
7	Ron Haslam	Suzuki	+47.360	9
8	Luca Cadalora	Yamaha	+51.770	8
9	Pierfrancesco Chili	Honda	+1:27.710	7
10	Rob McElnea	Honda	+1 Lap	6
11	Fred Merkel	Honda	+1 Lap	5
12	Roger Burnett	Honda	+1 Lap	4
13	Marco Gentile	Fior	+1 Lap	3
14	Fabio Biliotti	Honda	+1 Lap	2
15	Damon Buckmaster	Honda	+1 Lap	1
16	Marco Papa	Paton	+2 Laps
17	Robert Holden	Honda	+2 Laps
18	Bruno Kneubuhler	Honda	+2 Laps
19	Claude Albert	Suzuki	+2 Laps
20	Andreas Leuthe	Suzuki	+2 Laps
21	Josef Doppler	Honda	+2 Laps
22	Francisco Gonzales	Honda	+2 Laps
23	Peter Graves	Honda	+2 Laps
Ret	Ian Pratt	Suzuki	Retirement
Ret	Wayne Gardner	Honda	Retirement
Ret	Mark Phillips	Suzuki	Retirement
Ret	Dominique Sarron	Honda	Retirement
Ret	Nicholas Schmassman	Honda	Retirement
Ret	Rachel Nicotte	Chevallier Yamaha	Retirement
Ret	Juan Lopez Mella	Honda	Retirement
Ret	Cees Doorakkers	Honda	Retirement
Ret	John Mossey	Suzuki	Retirement
Ret	Andy McGladdery	Honda	Retirement
Ret	David Crampton	Suzuki	Retirement
Ret	Alessandro Valesi	Yamaha	Retirement
Ret	Alan Carter	Honda	Retirement