The Greatest MotoGP Riders Ever

The MotoGP isn’t for the weak hearted. Next to F1 racing, it’s the fastest motorsport in the world and the riders who participate are nothing short of being super heros. Over the years the sport has seen many riders come and go. Here is our list of the greatest MotoGP riders ever.

John Surtees: 50s

7 world titles in his MotoGP career was just the start for John Surtees. He rod

e with Norton and MV Augusta, ahhh the golden era. Seeing as his veins ran with gasoline, John needed to give F1 racing a shot where he had also had 6 wins and 1 championship title.

Mike Hailwood: 60s

Some know him as “Mike the Bike”, Mike Hailwood is arguably the greatest British rider to have been in the MotoGP during the 60’s. Though his race career he earned 9 championship titles between the 250cc, 350cc and 500cc classes. Being a racer at heart, Mike couldn’t get enough and also tried his hand in F1 racing which he had some success in as well.

Giacomo Agostini: 60s / 70s

122 Gran Prix wins and 15 World Championship titles. I don’t know what more we’re suppose to say. Giacomo Agostini undeniably ruled the MotoGP through the 60’s and 70’s and holds more wins than most other racers combined. He spent most of his career riding with MV Augusta in the 300cc class, where he had most of his success. Agostini was a model racer and paved the way for many racers behind him.

Michael “Mick” Doohan: 80s / 90s

The Australian rider that dominated 5 years straight from ’94 through ’98 with a championship title for each year on a 500cc Honda. Michael’s comfort level on the bike was apparent while many races ended with him pushing hard in the start to gain enough ground and ride very safe, within his limits for the rest of the race.

Casey Stoner: 2005 – 2012

Entered the MotoGP at the age of 20 after many wins in the 125cc and 250cc classes to ride for Honda to ride the RC211V. Casey is a true rider and although isn’t a highlight, but is known for his reluctance to be in the spotlight for interviews because he just wanted to ride. Casey retired at 27 years old with over 45 wins to his name, 6 wins with Ducati in 2008 that lead to the championship title.

Valentino Rossi: 90s / Present

There’s no wonder why #46 Yamaha rider, “The Doctor” Valentino Rossi has such a huge and loyal fan base. The Italian is a 9 time world champion, with 7 of them being premiere class, MotoGP titles. From the Rossi “leg wave” to that yellow #46, Rossi has been in the sport longer than most riders and has been a major influence for many them in the MotoGP.

Marc Marquez: 2008 / Present

Mar Marquez is a high intesity 22 year old with more consecutive wins in a season than any rider in the MotoGP. He’s young and his fire comes out in the races, leading to some exciting and some questionable decisions that keep fans on their toes. Everyone looks forward to watching Marquez race as you know you’re in for a surprise each time.

Honorable Mention

Okay so it’s silly to to even think that we have an honorable mention but there are a ton of fantastic riders. We’re talking about the best in the world here. We haven’t forgot about Jorge Lorenzo, Dani Pedrosa and Marco Simocelli. Although some of these guys haven’t won a championship yet, there’s no denying there impact on MotoGP racing. Each of them have made their mark on the sport in one way or another.