Debutants
Horst Oldenburg is the youngest debutant in World Championships in 1961. There are 20 debutants.
| # | Rider | Team | Age |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | OLDENBURG Horst | Germany | 21y + 321d |
| 2 | BAUNSOE Niels | Denmark | 22y + 66d |
| 3 | PUSCHEL Dieter | Germany | 22y + 72d |
| 4 | RENZ Sigi | Germany | 23y + 32d |
| 5 | VAN DER KLUNDERT Jacques | Netherlands | 23y + 141d |
| 6 | RUCHET Serge | Switzerland | 23y + 204d |
| 7 | KARLSSON Goran | Sweden | 23y + 347d |
| 8 | POSTL Kurt | Austria | 24y + 21d |
| 9 | KEMPER Dieter | Germany | 24y + 23d |
| 10 | ROBERTS Albert | Great Britain | 25y + 245d |
| 11 | TROCHE Ludwig | Germany | 25y + 254d |
| 12 | BERNARDEZ José | Spain | 25y + 337d |
| 13 | KERSTEN Jaap | Netherlands | 26y + 297d |
| 14 | GROUSSARD Joseph | France | 27y + 185d |
| 15 | OTAÑO Luis | Spain | 27y + 220d |
| 16 | VAN AERDE Michel | Belgium | 27y + 336d |
| 17 | SCHROEDERS Willy | Belgium | 28y + 268d |
| 18 | MENENDEZ Juan Manuel | Spain | 29y + 99d |
| 19 | NAKANO Yasumitsu | Japan | |
| 20 | JOWERS Ron | Great Britain |