List of Grand Prix motorcycle racing World Champions
Encyclopedia
Grand Prix motorcycle racing
Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix is the premier championship of motorcycle road racing currently divided into three distinct classes: 125cc, Moto2 and MotoGP. The 125cc class uses a two-stroke engine while Moto2 and MotoGP use four-stroke engines. In 2010 the 250cc two-stroke was replaced...
is the premier championship of motorcycle
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
road racing
Road racing
Road racing is a general term for most forms of motor racing held on paved, purpose-built race tracks , as opposed to oval tracks and off-road racing...
, which has been divided into three classes since the 1990 season
1990 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season
The 1990 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 42nd F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship season.-Season summary:1990 marked the beginning of the Rainey era with the Marlboro-Yamaha rider taking 7 wins and scoring points in every race but Hungary after he had already clinched the championship...
: 125cc, 250cc and MotoGP. Classes that have been discontinued include 350cc and 50cc/80cc. The Grand Prix Road-Racing World Championship was established in 1949
1949 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season
The 1949 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the inaugural F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix season. The season consisted of six Grand Prix races in five classes: 500cc, 350cc, 250cc, 125cc and Sidecars 600cc...
by the sport's governing body, the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme
Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme
The Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme is the governing body of motorcycle racing. It represents 103 national motorcycle federations that are divided into six regional continental unions....
(FIM), and is the oldest motorsport World Championship.
There were four classes when the championship started in 1949; 500cc, 350cc, 250cc and 125cc. The 50cc class was introduced in the 1962 season
1962 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season
The 1962 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 14th F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix season. The season consisted of eleven Grand Prix races in six classes: 500cc, 350cc, 250cc, 125cc, 50cc and Sidecars 500cc...
. Due to escalating costs that resulted in a number of manufacturers leaving the championship, the FIM limited the 50cc bikes to a single cylinder
Cylinder (engine)
A cylinder is the central working part of a reciprocating engine or pump, the space in which a piston travels. Multiple cylinders are commonly arranged side by side in a bank, or engine block, which is typically cast from aluminum or cast iron before receiving precision machine work...
, the 125cc and 250cc bikes were limited to two cylinders and the 350cc and 500cc bikes were limited to four cylinders. The 350cc class was discontinued in 1982
1982 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season
The 1982 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 34th F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship season.-Season summary:Italian Franco Uncini on the Roberto Gallina backed Suzuki took a well-earned championship in the 500cc class. Yamaha introduced a new V4 bike for Kenny Roberts but suffered from...
; two years later the 50cc class was replaced with an 80cc class, which was discontinued in 1989
1989 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season
The 1989 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 41st F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship season.-Season summary:Defending champion Eddie Lawson stunned most observers by switching from the Yamaha to Honda in the offseason then proceeded to win the championship, becoming the first man to win...
. In 2002
2002 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season
The 2002 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 54th F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship season. The season consist of 16 races, which started with the Japanese Grand Prix on 7 April and ended with the Valencian Community Grand Prix on 3 November....
, 990cc bikes replaced the 500c bikes and the class was renamed as MotoGP. 660cc bikes replaced the 250cc bikes in the 2010 season
2010 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season
The 2010 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 62nd F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship season. It was the first season for the new Moto2 class....
, with the class re-branded as Moto2.
Giacomo Agostini
Giacomo Agostini
-Non-riding career:Like John Surtees and Mike Hailwood before him, Agostini raced in Formula One cars. He competed in non-championship Formula One races in 1978. He competed in the European Formula 2 series in a Chevron B42-BMW and British Aurora Formula 1 with his own team and a Williams FW06...
, with 15 victories, has won the most world championships. Ángel Nieto
Angel Nieto
Ángel Nieto Roldán born January 25, 1947 in Zamora, was a multi-time Grand Prix motorcycle roadracing World Champion. He is one of the most successful motorcycle racers of all time, with 13 Grand Prix World Championships to his name....
is second with 13 world championships and Valentino Rossi
Valentino Rossi
Valentino Rossi, , is an Italian professional motorcycle racer and multiple MotoGP World Champion. He is one of the most successful motorcycle racers of all time, with nine Grand Prix World Championships to his name – seven of which are in the premier class.Following his father, Graziano Rossi,...
, Mike Hailwood
Mike Hailwood
Stanley Michael Bailey Hailwood, MBE, GM was a British Grand Prix motorcycle road racer regarded by many as one of the greatest racers of all time. He was known as "Mike The Bike" because of his natural riding ability...
and Carlo Ubbiali
Carlo Ubbiali
Carlo Ubbiali is an Italian nine-time World Champion motorcycle road racer. In the 1950s, he was a dominant force in the smaller classes of Grand Prix motorcycle racing.-Career:...
are third with 9 world championships. Agostini holds the record for the most victories in the 500cc/MotoGP and 350cc classes with eight and seven world championships respectively. Phil Read
Phil Read
Phillip William Read is an English former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer nicknamed "The Prince of Speed." Although he would often be overshadowed by his contemporary, Mike Hailwood, he would become the first man to win world championships in the 125cc, 250cc and 500cc classes.-Biography:In 1964,...
and Max Biaggi
Max Biaggi
Massimiliano "Max" Biaggi is an Italian motorcycle racer and winner of the 2010 World Superbike Championship. Throughout this racing career, he has won the 250cc World Championship four times, and finished as runner-up in both the 500cc and MotoGP championships...
have won the most 250cc/Moto2 championships, with four victories each. Nieto won the most championships in the 125cc and 50cc/80cc classes with eight and six victories respectively.
By rider
| Rank | Rider | Country | Winning span | MotoGP/500cc | 350cc | Moto2/250cc | 125cc | 80cc/50cc | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1966–1975 | 8 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | ||
| 2 | 1969–1984 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 13 | ||
| 3 | 1997–2009 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 9 | ||
| 3 | 1961–1967 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 | ||
| 3 | 1951–1960 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 9 | ||
| 6 | 1956–1960 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | ||
| 6 | 1964–1974 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 7 | ||
| 8 | 1951–1955 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | ||
| 8 |  Rhodesia |
1962–1965 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | |
| 10 | 1994–1998 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | ||
| 10 | 1980–1987 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 | ||
| 12 | 1984–1989 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | ||
| 12 |  South Africa |
1978–1979 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | |
| 12 | 1974–1976 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | ||
| 12 | 1994–1997 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | ||
| 12 | 1963–1965 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | ||
| 12 | 1986–1988 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | ||
| 12 | 1982–1985 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | ||
| 19 | 1978–1980 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | ||
| 19 | 1990–1992 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | ||
| 19 | 1983–1985 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | ||
| 19 | 2006–2010 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | ||
| 19 | 1949–1951 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | ||
| 19 | 1953–1954 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | ||
| 19 | 1986–1992 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | ||
| 19 | 2003–2005 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | ||
| 19 | 1990–1998 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | ||
| 19 | 1962–1966 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | ||
| 19 | 1976–1980 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | ||
| 19 | 1966–1968 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | ||
| 19 | 1978–1980 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||
| 32 | 1950–1952 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 32 | 1976–1977 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 32 | 2007–2011 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 32 | Rhodesia |
1961 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| 32 | 1989–1999 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 32 | 1955–1956 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 32 | 1953–1954 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 32 | 1983–1986 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 32 | 1988–1989 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 32 | 1952–1957 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 32 | 1957–1958 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 32 | 1970–1973 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 32 | 2001–2003 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 32 | 1973–1974 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 32 | 1985–1987 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 32 | 1994–1998 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 32 | 1995–1996 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 32 | 1971–1973 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | ||
| 32 | 1978–1981 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | ||
| 50 | 1949 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 50 | 1957 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 50 | 1981 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 50 | 1982 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 50 | 1987 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 50 | 1993 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 50 | 2000 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 50 | 2006 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 50 | 1949 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 50 | 1950 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 50 | 1957 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 50 | 1975 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 50 | 1977 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 50 | South Africa |
1980 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 50 | 1950 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 50 | 1952 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 50 | 1955 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 50 | 1970 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 50 | 1969 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 50 | 1972 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 50 | 1977 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 50 | 1982 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 50 | 1984 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 50 | 1990 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 50 | 1993 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 50 | 2000 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 50 | 2001 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 50 | 2002 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 50 | 2008 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 50 | 2009 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 50 | 2010 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 50 | 2011 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 50 | 1949 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 50 | 1954 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 50 | 1961 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 50 | 1967 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 50 | 1969 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 50 | 1975 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 50 | 1992 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 50 | 1993 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 50 | 1999 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 50 | 2000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 50 | 2002 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 50 | 2004 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 50 | 2005 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 50 | 2006 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 50 | 2007 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 50 | 2008 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 50 | 2009 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 50 | 2010 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 50 | 2011 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 50 | 1962 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 50 | 1965 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 50 | 1974 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 50 | 1989 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
By country
| Country | MotoGP/500cc | 350cc | Moto2/250cc | 125cc | 80cc/50cc | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | 8 | 22 | 23 | 2 | 75 | |
| 17 | 13 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 44 | |
| 2 | 0 | 7 | 15 | 12 | 36 | |
| 15 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 17 | |
| 0 | 2 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 16 | |
| 8 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 11 | |
| Rhodesia |
1 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 8 | |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 8 | |
| 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 5 | |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | |
| 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | |
| 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | |
| 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |