Boasting 60 years of history, MotoGP is the oldest of all motorsports World Championships - its first annual competition having been held in 1949.
From the early 1900s motorcycle Grands Prix were held in various countries and in 1938 the predecessor to the current FIM, the FICM (Fédération Internationale des Clubs Motocyclistes), announced a European Championship. However, the start of the Second World War interrupted the competition and it then took some time after the war for fuel to become available, before a truly international series could be created.
EARLY DAYS
When the first formal World Championship was held in 1949 Grand Prix racing comprised four solo classes, with the inaugural ‘premier class’ 500cc title being won by British rider Leslie Graham on AJS machinery. Another Brit, Freddie Frith (Velocette) took the first ever 350cc World title, while Italians Bruno Ruffo (Moto Guzzi) and Nello Pagani (Mondial) were the first 250cc and 125cc World Champions respectively.
A 600cc sidecar championship in the same season was won by Britons Eric Oliver and Denis Jenkinson with Norton machinery, though the sidecar category became a 500cc competition in 1951.
The Italian manufacturers such as the aforementioned Mondial and Moto Guzzi firms, along with companies such as Gilera and MV Agusta, dominated the World Championships during the 1950s, reflecting the strength of the country’s motorcycle industry at the time. MV Agusta were particularly prolific late in the decade, taking a clean sweep of World titles across all four categories for three seasons from 1958 to 1960 – while their dominance in the 500cc class was unbroken for 17 years from 1958 until 1974.
THE SWINGING SIXTIES
During the ‘60s the Japanese motorbike industry began to boom and during that decade many of the manufacturers that participate in modern day MotoGP racing, such as Honda, Suzuki and Yamaha, arrived to pick up their first World Championship title wins across the 125, 250 and 500 categories, as they announced themselves in Grand Prix racing. Suzuki in particular enjoyed great success in a new 50cc class which was introduced in 1962.
The late ‘60s brought the start of the glory days for MotoGP Legend Giacomo Agostini – the most successful rider in the history of World Championship competition. Up until the modern era riders regularly competed in two or three classes simultaneously and Agostini took 10 of his 15 titles in five successive seasons as double champion in 350cc and 500cc - in a golden period commencing in 1968, riding for MV Agusta.
At this time the escalating costs associated with Grand Prix racing had reached such a level that several Japanese firms withdrew from competition - with only Yamaha left at the end of the ‘60s. In response the FIM introduced rules which limited the bikes to single cylinder engines in the 50cc class, two cylinders in 125cc and 250cc, and four cylinders in 350cc and 500cc.
LEVEL PLAYING FIELD
In the period that followed the level playing field saw title wins for firms from Europe (Bultaco, Kreidler, Morbidelli, MV Agusta), Japan (Kawasaki, Suzuki, Yamaha) and North America (Harley Davidson) – with the Japanese firms finally breaking MV Agusta’s stranglehold on the premier class by the mid 1970s.
After a break of almost 12 years from racing, Honda rejoined the World Championships in the late 1970s and by 1983 they had changed their philosophy from using 4-stroke machinery to build the V3 500 2-stroke, known as the NS500, on which Freddie Spencer took the 500cc World title – his first championship win and the first for Honda since their return to Grand Prix.
The previous season racing in the 350cc class had been brought to a conclusion after 34 years of competition, leaving four classes in the World Championship - 50cc, 125cc, 250cc and 500cc – with 50cc subsequently replaced by an 80cc category in 1984. A short lived affair, the 80cc World Championship was contested for just six seasons, yielding four titles for Derbi, three courtesy of Spanish rider Jorge Martinez.
AMERICAN IDOLS
The 1980s and 1990s saw some superb quality racing in the premier class in particular with fierce competition between Honda, Suzuki and Yamaha and some great battles between American stars such as Eddie Lawson, Randy Mamola, Freddie Spencer, Wayne Rainey and Kevin Schwantz. Meanwhile in the 125cc and 250cc categories European factories such as Derbi, Garelli and later Aprilia were fighting for the honours with the Japanese giants.
The long association that sidecars had with Grand Prix racing came to an end after the 1996 season, when the class evolved into the Sidecar World Cup in 1997.
In the late 1990s the 500cc class was utterly dominated by Honda hero and MotoGP Legend Mick Doohan who took five consecutive titles, before a combination of racing injuries brought the Australian’s career to a premature end in 1999.
THE MODERN AGE
Before the revision of regulations which brought about the move to 990cc 4-stroke competition in the premier class - in line with modern engineering and production trends - a young Italian rider called Valentino Rossi took the last ever 500cc title in 2001 on Honda machinery, having won the 1997 edition of the 125cc championship and the 1999 quarter litre crown with Aprilia.
After the re-branding of the World Championship as MotoGP in 2002 and the introduction of 990cc racing, Rossi went on to win four further consecutive titles, two with Honda and two after a sensational move to Yamaha.
In recent seasons the lower cylinder categories have been ruled by young European riders preparing for MotoGP on Aprilia and Honda bikes, with Dani Perdosa epitomising the trend with three successive titles – one in 125 in 2003 followed by two in 250 – riding for Honda before moving into the premier class. In his first season in MotoGP Pedrosa shared the Repsol Honda pit-box with American rider Nicky Hayden, whose aggressive but consistent riding earned him the 2006 title and ended Rossi’s annual procession to glory.
At the start of the 2007 season, new rules restricting the number of tyres used on Grand Prix weekends and a reduction in engine size from 990cc to 800cc again levelled the playing field in MotoGP – with Bridgestone-equipped Ducati Marlboro rider Casey Stoner emerging as the first standout rider of the new era, as the runaway 2007 World Champion. In 2008, however, Rossi returned to the pinnacle, taking his sixth premier class title, with Stoner a distant runner-up in the standings.
MANUFACTURERS – THE GREAT NAMES
The following list provides the main statistics on the key manufacturers who have participated in the World Championships over the past six decades (statistics correct as of end of 2008 season):
AJS 1 Constructors World title, 9 victories in all classes
Aprilia 16 Constructors World titles, 254 victories in all classes
Derbi 8 Constructors World titles, 91 victories in all classes
Ducati 1 Constructors World title, 28 victories in all classes
Garelli 5 Constructors World titles, 51 victories in all classes
Gilera 5 Constructors World titles, 53 victories in all classes
Kreidler 7 Constructors World titles, 71 victories in all classes
Harley Davidson 1 Constructors World title, 28 victories in all classes
Honda 59 Constructors World titles, 623 victories in all classes
Kawasaki 9 Constructors World titles, 85 victories in all classes
Mondial 5 Constructors World titles, 18 victories in all classes
Moto Guzzi 6 Constructors World titles, 45 victories in all classes
MV Agusta 37 Constructors World titles, 275 victories in all classes
Norton 4 Constructors World titles, 41 victories in all classes
Suzuki 15 Constructors World titles, 155 victories in all classes
Yamaha 35 Constructors World titles, 440 victories in all classes
MOTO GP LEGENDS
Since the launch of the MotoGP Hall of Fame in 2000, a series of riders who have each been key protagonists throughout more than half a century of Grand Prix racing have been inducted as MotoGP Legends. The first rider to become a MotoGP Legend was Australia’s aforementioned five-time World Champion Mick Doohan, who was honoured at Mugello, in May 2000.
Since then several additional illustrious names from different eras of racing have been inducted into the MotoGP Hall of Fame, as listed in full here:
Giacomo Agostini (Italy) 15 World titles, 122 victories in all classes
Mick Doohan (Australia) 5 World titles, 54 victories in all classes
Geoffrey Duke (GB) 6 World titles, 33 victories in all classes
Mike Hailwood (GB) 9 World titles, 76 victories in all classes
Daijiro Kato (Japan) 1 World title, 17 victories in all classes
Wayne Gardner (Australia) 1 World title, 18 victories in all classes
Eddie Lawson (USA) 4 World titles, 31 victories in all classes
Anton Mang (Germany) 5 World titles, 42 victories in all classes
Angel Nieto (Spain) 13 World titles, 90 victories in all classes
Wayne Rainey (USA) 3 World titles, 24 victories in all classes
Phil Read (GB) 7 World titles, 52 victories in all classes
Kenny Roberts (USA) 3 World titles, 24 victories in all classes
Kevin Schwantz (USA) 1 World title, 25 victories in all classes
Barry Sheene (GB) 2 World titles, 23 victories in all classes
Freddie Spencer (USA) 3 World titles, 27 victories in all classes
John Surtees (GB) 7 World titles, 38 victories in all classes
Carlo Ubbiali (Italy) 9 World titles, 39 victories in all classes

Every circuit on the MotoGP calendar has its own unique atmosphere, features, history and layout - from the flat, floodlit, desert terrain of Losail International in Qatar to the majestic, winding beauty of Mugello in the Tuscan hills of northern Italy. To find out more about each MotoGP venue visit our Calendar/Circuits section.
In order to host a Grand Prix each circuit has to have a number of universal facilities and features which allow the weekend to run smoothly, safely and uniformly - throughout the 18 date MotoGP season.
Those facilities and features are as follows:
TRACK
Pit-boxes/Garages
A workshop or garage in which each team prepares for the practices, qualifying sessions and races. Amongst other things, pit-boxes contain monitoring equipment, tools, spare parts, tyres, replacement bikes and of course several busy team members. The back doors of the pit-boxes lead to the paddock where the teams’ supply trucks are stationed, while the front of the pit-boxes leads directly onto pit lane.
Pit Lane
The pit lane links the garages to the track itself and is adjacent to the start/finish straight, from which it is separated by the pit wall. The riders use the pit lane to leave and return to their pits and are not permitted to travel at more than 60 mph in this area of the circuit. The pit lane is overlooked by the media and race control facilities and usually by a main grandstand. For safety reasons traffic is one way in the pit lane, so in order to reach the starting grid the riders must exit from the end of pit lane and lap the track in order to get back to their starting positions.
Pit wall
Team members can cross the pit lane from their garages to stand next to the pit wall, in order to pass on messages to the riders using their pit boards. As the riders come along the start/finish straight they look for their team members, who via the pit board can relay messages such as time differences between riders, numbers of laps completed, lap times or instructions to return to the pits during practice and qualifying. Only six crew members from each team are permitted on the pit wall at any given moment during the race.
Start/finish straight
Adjacent to the pit lane and overlooked by the media facilities, race control and the main grandstand is the start/finish straight, where races commence and conclude. On the start/finish straight a grid is marked out for the riders instructing them where they will start the race. Of course there is also a finishing line marshalled by a race official, who displays the chequered flag as the riders finish the race.
Parc Fermé
This is a cordoned off area located in the pit lane where the podium finishers (first three) in each race are guided after the action concludes on track. Here selected media are given first access to the riders - mainly for live television interviews - immediately after they have secured their podium finishes.
PADDOCK
The paddock sits behind the main circuit complex adjacent to the pits and is the storage and work area for the majority of people who are involved in Grands Prix. As such it normally hosts:
- The teams’ service trucks (containing offices and supplies)
- Media trucks (containing offices and editing studios for the attending media)
- Hospitality units (teams, organisers and sponsors have hospitality facilities in which staff and guests can relax and dine at each Grand Prix)
- Motorhomes (where the riders rest, sleep and prepare for action)
- Administration offices (Dorna & IRTA offices where the administration and organising of each Grand Prix is co-ordinated)
- Tyre suppliers’ fitting areas (Bridgestone and Dunlop have supply trucks and workspaces where they prepare the compounds for each of their teams)
- Clinica Mobile (MotoGP’s travelling hospital is always present in the paddock, while each circuit also has its own permanent medical facility)
MAIN CIRCUIT COMPLEX
Race Direction room
Every race in the MotoGP season is monitored and stewarded by a team of officials known as Race Direction (see Governing Bodies section for more information). From their monitoring room, which varies in exact location from track to track, but is usually in the service buildings adjacent to the pit-lane, Race Direction view screens relaying images from every inch of the race track and communicate via radio with the various marshals stationed around the track, to ensure that the rules of Grand Prix road racing are applied correctly and that on-track safety is maintained at all times.
Timekeeping room
The timekeeping department of Dorna Sports (see Governing Bodies section) record the performance of every rider in every class in every free practice, qualifying practice, warm-up session and race, throughout the season, to within one thousandth of a second – from an allocated room at each circuit, usually adjacent to the Race Direction facility. Highly accurate live timing services are provided for media throughout the world by the timekeepers via digital recording equipment on each bike, at stations around the track and via the main control centre in the timekeeping room.
Media Centre
The main circuit complex contains a press room (from which journalists from around the world report on the action), a media manager’s office, an interview room, and a press conference room.
STADIUM or GRANDSTANDS
The best seats at the track for the fans are those looking directly onto the start/finish straight from a covered grandstand, which often also contains corporate boxes for private groups and usually sits opposite the main circuit complex buildings. There are often also additional stands offering seating dotted around the track, usually looking onto chicanes or key corners where fans can watch the MotoGP stars doing battle at the most crucial overtaking points.

MotoGP is the world’s premier motorcycling championship, with a season of 18 Grands Prix in 14 countries bringing together the world’s top motorcycle manufacturers such as Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, Ducati, Kawasaki, Aprilia and KTM - plus an elite crop of riders from every corner of the globe.
The motorcycles used for MotoGP are purpose-built racing prototypes which are unavailable for purchase by the general public and cannot be legally ridden on public roads.
The Grand Prix Road-Racing World Championship was first organised by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) in 1949 and has been administrated by commercial rights owners Dorna Sports under the supervision of the FIM since 1992. It is the oldest motorsport World Championship in existence.
MotoGP began a new era in 2002 when revised regulations allowed for the participation of bikes with four-stroke engines. For the 2007 season the adaptation of MotoGP bikes from 990cc engine capacity to 800cc resulted in an even more exciting spectacle, with higher corner speeds and even more competitive races – patterns which are continuing this year.
Furthermore, in the opening round of 2008, MotoGP became the first motorsports World Championship to host a night-time Grand Prix, with the Losail International Circuit’s state-of-the-art new floodlight system permitting a superb start to the season in Qatar.
GRAND PRIX WEEKENDS
On a Grand Prix weekend there are three individual races, one for each of MotoGP’s three categories:
MotoGP – the ultimate test for the finest talents in motorcycle racing, in which maximum engine displacement capacity is now the aforementioned 800cc (four-stroke engines) and the minimum age for riders is 18.
250 – the intermediate category where maximum engine displacement capacity is 250cc (twin cylinder engines) and the minimum age for riders is 16.
125 – the class which offers young riders the chance to take their first step into Grand Prix, where maximum engine displacement capacity is 125cc (single cylinder engines), the maximum age for riders is 28 (or 25 years of age for wild-card riders or for newly contracted riders participating in a 125cc race for the first time) and the minimum age is 15 years old.
Races begin from a grid which is composed of three starting positions per row (four per row in the 250cc and 125cc classes), with starting places secured by qualifying times - the fastest rider earning the famous ‘pole position’. The races can vary between 95km and 130km in distance and usually last approximately 40-45 minutes, each being a spectacular sprint to the finish line, with pit-stops being rare rather than the norm.
Bike set-up and material selection (parts and tyres) are therefore absolutely crucial and is undertaken by the teams following consultation with their riders based on knowledge of the track, weather conditions and the 'feel' of the bike during free practice, qualifying and the pre-race warm-up sessions. A critical balance has to be found between grip and the endurance of the tyre, as soft, ‘gripping’ tyres permit quicker speeds and faster lap times but wear out quickly, whilst harder, less ‘sticky’ tyres last longer but do not assist the rider in achieving maximum velocity.
RIDERS
The current MotoGP World Champion is Italian Fiat Yamaha superstar Valentino Rossi who returned to the pinnacle with his sixth premier class title in true style in 2008. The championship saw Australian Casey Stoner of the Ducati Marlboro team, who sensationally won the 2007 title in just his second season in the premier class – finish runner-up behind Rossi.
Meanwhile, the likes of Repsol Honda’s Dani Pedrosa and his new team-mate Andrea Dovizioso, along with riders such as Rossi’s Yamaha colleague and 2008 Rookie of the Year Jorge Lorenzo and Nicky Hayden - who joins Stoner at Ducati in 2009 - are also stars of the show.
Indeed, the level of racing ability throughout the MotoGP grid is exceptionally high, with the likes of Loris Capirossi, Chris Vermeulen, Colin Edwards, Toni Elias and James Toseland also competing for top five finishes.
The list of participants in each Grand Prix is composed of the permanent riders, contracted and nominated by their teams for the whole season, and wildcard entries – who are often local riders. Approximately 19 participants enter each MotoGP race, about 25 take part in each 250cc race and the 125cc races usually involve around 30 riders.
Riders from around the globe take part in the World Championships including the following countries: Australia, Austria, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Romania, San Marino, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, UK and USA.
For profiles of every rider from all three Grand Prix categories visit our dedicated ‘Riders’ section.