Grand Prix Motorcycle Racing or famously called MotoGP is the highest class of motorcycle road racing championship sanctioned by the FIM (Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme). The MotoGP championship also boasts of being the oldest racing championship in the world which stared in 1949.
The Championship consisted of four classes in 1949, 500cc, 350cc, 250cc and 125cc. The 50cc class was introduced in 1962 as manufacturer's left the sport due to rising costs, the 50cc class was limited to single cylinder, 125cc and 250cc bikes were limited to two cylinders while the 350cc and 500cc bikes were limited to four cylinders.
In 1982, the 350cc was discontinued from the championship and two years later the 50cc class was upgraded to 80cc before excluding it in 1989. In 2002, the 500cc bikes were replaced by much powerful 990cc bikes and the class was renamed MotoGP. The 600cc replaced the 250cc bikes in 2010 and the class was named Moto2.
Italian rider Giacomo Agostini has won the most world championships titles with a record number 15 across all classes. The Spaniard Ángel Nieto is second highest with 13 titles while Valentino Rossi, Mike Hailwood and Carlo Ubbiali have won 9 titles each and share a joint 3rd place for the highest titles in the history of Grand Prix Motorcycle racing.
Complete list of MotoGP World Champions
Rank | Rider | Country | Year | MotoGP/500cc | 350cc | Moto2/250cc | Moto3/125cc | 80cc/50cc | Total |
1 | Giacomo Agostini | Italy | 1966–1975 | 8 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 |
2 | Ángel Nieto | Spain | 1969–1984 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 13 |
3 | Valentino Rossi | Italy | 1997–2009 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 9 |
3 | Mike Hailwood | United Kingdom | 1961–1967 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
3 | Carlo Ubbiali | Italy | 1951–1960 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 9 |
6 | Marc Márquez | Spain | 2010–2023 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 8 |
6 | John Surtees | United Kingdom | 1956–1960 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
6 | Phil Read | United Kingdom | 1964–1974 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 7 |
9 | Geoff Duke | United Kingdom | 1951–1955 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
9 | Jim Redman | Rhodesia | 1962–1965 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
11 | Mick Doohan | Australia | 1994–1998 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
11 | Jorge Lorenzo | Spain | 2006–2015 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
11 | Anton Mang | Germany | 1980–1987 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
14 | Eddie Lawson | United States | 1984–1989 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
14 | Kork Ballington | South Africa | 1978–1979 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
14 | Walter Villa | Italy | 1974–1976 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
14 | Max Biaggi | Italy | 1994–1997 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
14 | Hugh Anderson | New Zealand | 1963–1965 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
14 | Jorge Martínez | Spain | 1986–1988 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
14 | Stefan Dörflinger | Switzerland | 1982–1985 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 |
21 | Kenny Roberts | United States | 1978–1980 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
21 | Wayne Rainey | United States | 1990–1992 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
21 | Freddie Spencer | United States | 1983–1985 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
21 | Bruno Ruffo | Italy | 1949–1951 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
21 | Werner Haas | Germany | 1953–1954 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
21 | Luca Cadalora | Italy | 1986–1992 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
21 | Dani Pedrosa | Spain | 2003–2005 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
21 | Loris Capirossi | Italy | 1990–1998 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
21 | Luigi Taveri | Switzerland | 1962–1966 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
21 | Pier Paolo Bianchi | Italy | 1976–1980 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
21 | Hans Georg Anscheidt | Germany | 1966–1968 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
21 | Eugenio Lazzarini | Italy | 1978–1980 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
33 | Umberto Masetti | Italy | 1950–1952 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
33 | Barry Sheene | United Kingdom | 1976–1977 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
33 | Casey Stoner | Australia | 2007–2011 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
33 | Gary Hocking | Rhodesia and Nyasaland | 1961 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
33 | Àlex Crivillé | Spain | 1989–1999 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
33 | Bill Lomas | United Kingdom | 1955–1956 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
33 | Fergus Anderson | United Kingdom | 1953–1954 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
33 | Carlos Lavado | Venezuela | 1983–1986 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
33 | Sito Pons | Spain | 1988–1989 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
33 | Johann Zarco | France | 2015–2016 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
33 | Cecil Sandford | United Kingdom | 1952–1957 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
33 | Tarquinio Provini | Italy | 1957–1958 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
33 | Dieter Braun | Germany | 1970–1973 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
33 | Manuel Poggiali | San Marino | 2001–2003 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
33 | Kent Andersson | Sweden | 1973–1974 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
33 | Fausto Gresini | Italy | 1985–1987 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
33 | Kazuto Sakata | Japan | 1994–1998 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
33 | Haruchika Aoki | Japan | 1995–1996 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
33 | Jan de Vries | Netherlands | 1971–1973 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
33 | Ricardo Tormo | Spain | 1978–1981 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
53 | Leslie Graham | United Kingdom | 1949 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
53 | Libero Liberati | Italy | 1957 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
53 | Marco Lucchinelli | Italy | 1981 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
53 | Franco Uncini | Italy | 1982 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
53 | Wayne Gardner | Australia | 1987 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
53 | Kevin Schwantz | United States | 1993 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
53 | Kenny Roberts, Jr. | United States | 2000 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
53 | Nicky Hayden | United States | 2006 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
53 | Freddie Frith | United Kingdom | 1949 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
53 | Bob Foster | United Kingdom | 1950 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
53 | Keith Campbell | Australia | 1957 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
53 | Johnny Cecotto | Venezuela | 1975 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
53 | Takazumi Katayama | Japan | 1977 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
53 | Jon Ekerold | South Africa | 1980 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
53 | Dario Ambrosini | Italy | 1950 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
53 | Enrico Lorenzetti | Italy | 1952 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
53 | Hermann Paul Müller | Germany | 1955 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
53 | Rodney Gould | United Kingdom | 1970 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
53 | Kel Carruthers | Australia | 1969 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
53 | Jarno Saarinen | Finland | 1972 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
53 | Mario Lega | Italy | 1977 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
53 | Jean-Louis Tournadre | France | 1982 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
53 | Christian Sarron | France | 1984 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
53 | John Kocinski | United States | 1990 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
53 | Tetsuya Harada | Japan | 1993 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
53 | Olivier Jacque | France | 2000 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
53 | Daijiro Kato | Japan | 2001 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
53 | Marco Melandri | Italy | 2002 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
53 | Marco Simoncelli | Italy | 2008 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
53 | Hiroshi Aoyama | Japan | 2009 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
53 | Toni Elías | Spain | 2010 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
53 | Stefan Bradl | Germany | 2011 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
53 | Pol Espargaró | Spain | 2013 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
53 | Esteve Rabat | Spain | 2014 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
53 | Franco Morbidelli | Italy | 2017 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
53 | Francesco Bagnaia | Italy | 2018 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
53 | Nello Pagani | Italy | 1949 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
53 | Rupert Hollaus | Austria | 1954 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
53 | Tom Phillis | Australia | 1961 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
53 | Bill Ivy | United Kingdom | 1967 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
53 | Dave Simmonds | United Kingdom | 1969 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
53 | Paolo Pileri | Italy | 1975 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
53 | Alessandro Gramigni | Italy | 1992 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
53 | Dirk Raudies | Germany | 1993 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
53 | Emilio Alzamora | Spain | 1999 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
53 | Roberto Locatelli | Italy | 2000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
53 | Arnaud Vincent | France | 2002 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
53 | Andrea Dovizioso | Italy | 2004 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
53 | Thomas Lüthi | Switzerland | 2005 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
53 | Álvaro Bautista | Spain | 2006 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
53 | Gábor Talmácsi | Hungary | 2007 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
53 | Mike Di Meglio | France | 2008 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
53 | Julián Simón | Spain | 2009 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
53 | Nicolás Terol | Spain | 2011 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
53 | Sandro Cortese | Germany | 2012 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
53 | Maverick Viñales | Spain | 2013 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
53 | Alex Márquez | Spain | 2014 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
53 | Danny Kent | United Kingdom | 2015 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
53 | Brad Binder | South Africa | 2016 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
53 | Joan Mir | Spain | 2017-2023 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
53 | Jorge Martín | Spain | 2018 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
53 | Ernst Degner | Germany | 1962 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
53 | Ralph Bryans | United Kingdom | 1965 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
53 | Henk van Kessel | Netherlands | 1974 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
53 | Manuel Herreros | Spain | 1989 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |