Second place in the championship would not be decided until the final race of the season in Ettelbruck, Luxembourg where Åke Jonsson (Maico) appeared poised to repeat his second-place result from the previous year.

Former three-time World Champion, Paul Friedrichs (ČZ), won the French and East German Grand Prix races to finish the season in second place.

Van Velthoven won the 500cc Luxembourg Grand Prix to give the Yamaha factory its first World Championship victory.

Suzuki factory rider Joël Robert once again dominated the 250cc World Championship, winning six of the twelve Grand Prix events to clinch the title with four races to go.

Olle Pettersson scored the Kawasaki factory's first motocross world championship points with a 6th place at the 1972 250cc French Grand Prix.