1988 British motorcycle Grand Prix

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The 1988 British motorcycle Grand Prix was held on August 7 at Donington Park.

[edit] 500 cc race report

The front row: Wayne Gardner, Eddie Lawson, Christian Sarron, Niall Mackenzie and Wayne Rainey.

Rainey and Mackenzie get a good launch, and through the first turn it’s Rainey and he’s opening a gap the field. Rainey is using carbon fiber brakes for the first time, which had only been tested and not raced on.

Kevin Schwantz is in around 8th place and tries to pass two or three riders simultaneously at the chicane, but crashes into Ron Haslam and causes a bottleneck. Haslam struggles to get out of the gravel and back into the race, and Schwantz is out with a broken kneecap. Marco Papa highsides out of the race.

Finishing the first lap it’s Rainey, then a gap to Gardner, Sarron, and Mackenzie. Randy Mamola and Norihiko Fujiwara come together at the hairpin, but stay up.

Rainey is maintaining a gap, and Gardner makes a mistake at the chicane and lets Sarron and Mackenzie through, but he’s soon back to 2nd. Mamola is sliding the rear and waving to the crowd.

On the last lap, McElnea highsides coming out of the chicane.

Rainey wins his first premier-class GP.

1	Wayne Rainey	49:33.670
2	Wayne Gardner	+6.970
3	Christian Sarron	+8.780
4	Niall Mackenzie	+11.840
5	Kevin Magee	+36.750
6	Eddie Lawson	+40.970
7	D. De Radiguès	+51.360
8	Pierfrancesco Chili	+51.810
9	R. Burnett	+52.390
10	T. Taira	+1:21.840
11	Randy Mamola	+1:32.450
12	N. Fujiwara	+1 lap
13	M. Baldwin	+1 lap
14	Ron Haslam	+1 lap
15	F. Biliotti	+1 lap
16	P. Igoa	+1 lap
17	E. Laycock	+1 lap
18	F. Barchitta	+1 lap
19	D. Amatriain	+1 lap
20	M. Gentile	+1 lap
21	D. Leach	+1 lap
22	M. Duyzers	+1 lap
23	D. Buckmaster	+1 lap
24	K. Van Der Endt	+1 lap
25	N. Schmassman	+1 lap
	A. Leuthe	ret.
	R. Nicotte	ret.
	D. Dixon	ret.
	Bruno Kneubühler	ret.
	Rob McElnea	ret.
	W. Von Muralt	ret.
	A. Valesi	ret.
	Raymond Roche	ret.
	S. Spray	ret.
	Kevin Schwantz	ret.
	M. Papa	ret.

1	1988 Japanese motorcycle Grand Prix Report
2	1988 United States motorcycle Grand Prix Report
3	1988 Spanish motorcycle Grand Prix Report
4	1988 Portuguese motorcycle Grand Prix Report
5	1988 Italian motorcycle Grand Prix Report
6	1988 German motorcycle Grand Prix Report
7	1988 Austrian motorcycle Grand Prix Report
8	1988 Dutch TT Report
9	1988 Belgian motorcycle Grand Prix Report
10	1988 Yugoslavian motorcycle Grand Prix Report
11	1988 French motorcycle Grand Prix Report
12	1988 British motorcycle Grand Prix Report
13	1988 Swedish motorcycle Grand Prix Report
14	1988 Czechoslovakian motorcycle Grand Prix Report
15	1988 Brazilian motorcycle Grand Prix Report