How it unfolded
Silverstone at the time combined high-speed straights with gentle corners, a layout where slipstreaming was decisive, and that combination produced the most famous duel in 500cc history. America's Kenny Roberts on the Yamaha YZR500 and Britain's Barry Sheene on the Suzuki RG500 swapped the lead back and forth for the entire race. The two traded the front several times right up to the final lap, and Roberts crossed the line just 0.03 seconds ahead. Sheene, riding in front of his home crowd, admitted afterward that he had ridden the best race he had that day but could not turn the result around. Roberts clinched his second world title that season. Off track that same year, Roberts shook things up too, publicly threatening to launch an independent World Series over circuit safety standards and rider pay, forcing the FIM to the negotiating table.
Why it still matters
This race is remembered as the moment the 500cc class became a mainstream sport in Britain and America, and the two superstars' rivalry proved for the first time the commercial value of Grand Prix racing. At the same time, the leverage Roberts secured went on to substantially change rider safety standards, prize structures and circuit approval procedures.