As of round 17 Race · updated 10/13/2026, 07:18 PM (Japan time)

Riders

Matti Salonen

No freely licensed photo found, so the race number and team colour are shown instead. About photos

Nationality: Finland
Bike: Yamaha

Birth date and place from the official rider profile

Career

Made a Grand Prix debut in 50cc at Tampere in 1963.

In 50cc (1963): 1 starts, 0 wins, 0 podiums. In 250cc (1969): 1 starts, 0 wins, 0 podiums. In 125cc (1970–1971): 2 starts, 0 wins, 0 podiums. In 500cc (1971): 1 starts, 0 wins, 0 podiums. In 125cc (1972): 2 starts, 0 wins, 0 podiums. In 350cc (1972): 1 starts, 0 wins, 0 podiums. In 125cc (1972): 3 starts, 0 wins, 0 podiums. In 350cc (1972): 1 starts, 0 wins, 0 podiums. In 125cc (1972–1973): 3 starts, 0 wins, 0 podiums. In 250cc (1973): 2 starts, 0 wins, 0 podiums. In 125cc (1973): 3 starts, 0 wins, 0 podiums. In 250cc (1973): 1 starts, 0 wins, 0 podiums. In 125cc (1974): 1 starts, 0 wins, 0 podiums. In 250cc (1974): 1 starts, 0 wins, 0 podiums. In 125cc (1974): 1 starts, 0 wins, 0 podiums.

In all, 24 Grand Prix starts, 0 wins and 0 podiums (within the official results database).

Written automatically from the official results database (no opinions about the rider)

Note: these totals are incomplete. The official data has no result for 4 races in seasons and classes this rider raced in; they are not counted: 1969 250cc (TT) / 1970 125cc (NAT) / 1971 125cc (TT) / 1973 250cc (TT)

Season by season

50cc500cc250cc125cc350cc ★ Champion

The strip shows each year's team (team colour). Tap for team and machine

Teams in years without official results: 1975 125cc

Scope: official results DB, 1963–1974 (the rider's racing years); excludes 4 races with no official result data

Totals

50cc1963–1963

Win rate0.0%

Podium rate0.0%

Average finish (when classified)avg P6.0

1 pts · Poles 0

125cc1970–1974

Win rate0.0%

Podium rate0.0%

Average finish (when classified)avg P6.9

80 pts · Poles 0

4 of these races have no result in the official data; their results come from the Italian Wikipedia.

250cc1969–1974

Win rate0.0%

Podium rate0.0%

Average finish (when classified)avg P8.4

18 pts · Poles 0

3 of these races have no result in the official data; their results come from the Italian Wikipedia.

350cc1972–1972

Win rate0.0%

Podium rate0.0%

Average finish (when classified)avg P6.5

10 pts · Poles 0

Includes 1 points from races with no result in the official records (counted from the official standings).

500cc1968–1971

Win rate0.0%

Podium rate0.0%

Average finish (when classified)avg P8.5

5 pts · Poles 0

1 of these races have no result in the official data; their results come from the Italian Wikipedia.

Points are counted per class, never added across classes. Tap a number for the list of races | Scope: official results DB, 1963–1974 (the rider's racing years); excludes 4 races with no official result data

Against the greats, and the class of their debut

Grand Prix debut in 1963. Of the 51 riders who debuted that year, 0 also raced in 2026.

Angel Nieto 13 world titles
10 races together: ahead 1, behind 9, both out 0
Kent Andersson 2 world titles
16 races together: ahead 0, behind 16, both out 0
Dieter Braun 2 world titles
11 races together: ahead 0, behind 11, both out 0

Greats: 2+ world titles or 30+ MotoGP / 500cc wins. Up to 4 who shared 10+ races, most titles first. A finisher counts as ahead of a non-finisher.

Results by condition (races)

All classes 32 races · 50cc / 125cc / 250cc / 350cc / 500cc

By circuit (best average first)Small sample

In All classes, best at Anderstorp (average P7.0, 4 races)

Paul Ricard125cc 1avg P5.0

Imola250cc 1 · 125cc 1avg P6.0

Tampere50cc 1avg P6.0

Brno250cc 1 · 125cc 1avg P6.5

Anderstorp125cc 3 · 250cc 1avg P7.0

Opatija350cc 1 · 125cc 1 · 250cc 1avg P7.0

Imatra500cc 2 · 250cc 3 · 125cc 3 · 350cc 1avg P7.4

Salzburgring125cc 2avg P7.5

Montjuïc125cc 2avg P7.5

Assen125cc 2 · 250cc 1avg P7.7

Spa125cc 1avg P8.0

Nürburgring125cc 1avg P10.0

Clermont-Ferrand125cc 1avg P10.0

Average finish across classes (Moto3, Moto2, MotoGP and so on together). See each class below for class-only figures. Only circuits with 3+ races count as a best track.

125cc 19 races · 1970–1974

By circuit (best average first)Small sample

In 125cc, best at Imatra (average P6.0, 3 races)

Imola1 racesavg P4.0

Paul Ricard1 racesavg P5.0

Imatra3 racesavg P6.0

Brno1 racesavg P6.0

Opatija1 racesavg P6.0

Assen2 racesavg P6.5

Anderstorp3 racesavg P7.0

Salzburgring2 racesavg P7.5

Montjuïc2 racesavg P7.5

Spa1 racesavg P8.0

Nürburgring1 racesavg P10.0

Clermont-Ferrand1 racesavg P10.0

125cc: all in the Multiple suppliers era; no track-condition records; no grid records.

250cc 8 races · 1969–1974

By circuit (best average first)Small sample

Brno1 racesavg P7.0

Imola1 racesavg P8.0

Imatra3 racesavg P8.3

Opatija1 racesavg P9.0

Assen1 racesavg P10.0

Anderstorp1 races—

250cc: all in the Multiple suppliers era; no track-condition records; no grid records.

350cc 2 races · 1972

By tyre eraSmall sample

Win rate

Podium rate

Average finish (when classified)

By circuit (best average first)Small sample

Opatija1 racesavg P6.0

Imatra1 racesavg P7.0

350cc: no track-condition records; no grid records.

500cc 2 races · 1968–1971

500cc: all in the Multiple suppliers era; no track-condition records; no grid records; one circuit only.

50cc 1 races · 1963

By tyre eraSmall sample

Win rate

Podium rate

Average finish (when classified)

50cc: no track-condition records; no grid records; one circuit only.

Fewer than 30 races: small sample (dashed). Average finish counts classified finishes only | Scope: official results DB, 1963–1974 (the rider's racing years); excludes 4 races with no official result data

Distance ridden and distance travelled

Counted from 1949 (lap lengths before 1998 researched from published sources: estimates)7 races with an estimated lap length

Ridden on the bike

Every session

at least 615 miles
0.0× around the Earth · 188 laps

Travelled between circuits

at least 502 miles
0.0× around the Earth · at least 0.1 days

From 1949. Every session in the seasons with the lap analysis documents, races only before. Tests not included. Laps × that year's lap length.A minimum, calculated from straight-line distances between circuits. Connections, tests and trips home are not included, so the real figures are longer.

Every race

50%Start rate (11/22)

4Longest run of absences (races)

3Longest run of starts (races)

35.5Estimated points lost to absences

1Win3Podium8Points18No pointsRRetired–Absent

1973 125cc P9 · 32 pts

1973 250cc P21 · 10 pts

Tap a cell for the event, qualifying, sprint and race results and points

? How the estimate is made

Estimate = average of the last 3 races before each absence

Seasons in which at least half of the races were started | Scope: official results DB, 1963–1974 (the rider's racing years); excludes 4 races with no official result data

1970	Imatra	5 +6
1971	Assen	9 +2
1971	Anderstorp	7 +4
1972	Nürburgring	10 +1
1972	Clermont-Ferrand	10 +1
1972	Opatija	6 +5
1972	Anderstorp	6 +5
1972	Imatra	7 +4
1972	Montjuïc	9 +2
1973	Paul Ricard	5 +6
1973	Salzburgring	6 +5
1973	Assen	4 +8
1973	Spa	8 +3
1973	Brno	6 +5
1973	Imatra	6 +5
1974	Salzburgring	9 +2
1974	Imola	4 +8
1974	Anderstorp	8 +3
1974	Montjuïc	6 +5

1969	Imatra	10 +1
1973	Opatija	9 +2
1973	Assen	10 +1
1973	Brno	7 +4
1973	Anderstorp	DNF
1973	Imatra	8 +3
1974	Imola	8 +3
1974	Imatra	7 +4