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MotoGP
The exciting history of MotoGP
MotoGP replaced the previous premier class of the motorbike world championship in 2002. We take a look back at the history of MotoGP.
Since 2002, MotoGP has been the premier class of two-wheeled motorsport for road motorbikes, but the origins of the motorbike world championship go back much further. Here you can find out everything you need to know about the history of MotoGP.
01
The birth of the motorbike world championship
The first motorbike with a petrol engine to be mass-produced dates back to 1894 and goes by the name of "Hildebrand & Wolfmüller". 13 years later, in 1907, the legendary Isle of Man TT was the first official motorbike race in the world.
However, it was not until 1949 that the FIM (Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme) organised the first world championship for road motorbikes - the unofficial birth of the MotoGP.
At that time, the riders competed in different cubic capacity classes. The championships were divided into 50 cc, 80 cc, 125 cc, 250 cc, 350 cc and 500 cc for solo machines and 500 cc for motorbikes with sidecars. In the early days, it was mainly English and Italian brands with four-stroke engines that dominated the scene.
The record holder is the Italian Giacomo "Ago" Agostini, born in 1942, who competed for the first time on 15 September 1963 at his home race in Monza, Italy. The rest is history: between 1963 and 1977, Agostini claimed 122 race victories (in 194 starts) and was crowned motorbike world champion 15 times .
Giacomo Agostini racked up a record 15 titles
© Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool
What is MotoGP anyway? Our 'ABC of' series sheds light on the background to the most important sports and provides exciting facts, including the Motorcycle World Championship.
26 min
ABC... of MotoGP
From understanding the rules to learning the jargon, find out what makes this motor sport so thrilling.
02
The path to the foundation of MotoGP
In the years and decades that followed, there were repeated far-reaching rule changes within the Motorcycle World Championship. In 1983, the 350cc class was initially cancelled without replacement, and one year later the 50cc class was replaced by the 80cc class.
At the end of the 1980s, the classic race start, which still involved pushing the racing bikes, was also replaced by a standing start.
In the 1990s, the 80 cc class and the sidecar races were also removed from the programme, and until 2001, racing took place exclusively in the 125 cc, 250 cc and 500 cc displacement classes.
At the same time, the so-called Superbike World Championship (SBK) was also established under the umbrella of the FIM, in which riders and teams competed with close-to-production motorbikes. It was originally launched by the four major Japanese manufacturers Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki and Suzuki.
In the course of the 2001 season, the pressure exerted by the Japanese manufacturers, above all Honda, on the governing body became so great that it led to a far-reaching reorganisation within the Motorcycle World Championship. The established 500cc class was replaced in 2002 by the MotoGP, which was intended to make the world championship fit for the new millennium.
Weird guy: No rider has more inclination than Marc Marquez
© Gold & Goose/Red Bull Content Pool
The animated history of MotoGP: We take you on a slightly different journey through time.
2 min
Die animated History of the MotoGP
Die animated History of the MotoGP
03
The early years of MotoGP: the "Rossi" years
The new branding was accompanied by new regulations. From then on, four-stroke engines with a maximum power output of 990 cm were used in the premier class of motorbike racing. In the final year of the original 500 cc motorbike world championship (2001), the 'Doctor' Valentino Rossi was crowned world champion.
The beginnings of MotoGP were also to go to the Italian, who won a total of four titles as rider world champion between 2002 and 2005, first on a Honda machine, then on a Yamaha. Rossi, together with Spaniard Marc Márquez, leads the list of the best rider world champions - both riders have six world championship titles in MotoGP to date.
The smaller displacement classes (125 cc and 250 cc) continued to take place under the umbrella of the Motorcycle World Championship. They were only integrated into the MotoGP calendar much later: Moto2 has replaced the previous 250cc class since the 2010 season, while Moto3 replaced the third-highest class two years later, i.e. for the 2012 season.
Marc Márquez & Valentino Rossi at the top of the MotoGP World Championship
© Chris Tedesco / Red Bull Content Pool
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Impressive MotoGP records
04
MotoGP's path into the modern era
From the 2007 season, the maximum permissible engine capacity within MotoGP was limited to 800 cc. The FIM hoped that this would increase safety for the riders, as the speeds would be lower. In practice, however, hardly any of this was noticeable. In fact, the speed in the corners could even be increased, which meant that crashes occurred more frequently.
The engine capacity was then increased again for the 2012 season. From this season onwards, the bikes were equipped with a displacement of 1,000 cc, while the maximum number of cylinders was limited to four. The dominance of the Spanish riders began: between 2012 and 2020, the title of world rider champion went to Spain.
Marc Márquez on Honda was crowned world champion six times (most recently in the 2019 season), Yamaha rider Jorge Lorenzo secured two more titles, while the crown went to Joan Mir in the 2020 season.
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Since 2016, the technical regulations have stipulated a minimum weight of 158 kg for a bike in the MotoGP class. However, the power output of a motorbike is not regulated and is only measured in lower limits for competitive reasons.
It is estimated that a current motorbike in MotoGP has between 260 and 300 hp. This makes speeds of over 360 km/h possible. The current record was set by Ducati rider Jorge Martín in Mugello, Italy, in 2022. The Spaniard was 363.6 km/h fast. This puts MotoGP almost on a par with Formula 1 in terms of top speed.
Time travel through the history of MotoGP: In our film 'Racing Together', some legends look back on an eventful history.
05
MotoGP 2024: an outlook
Der sechsmalige Champion Marc Márquez startet 2024 für Gresini Racing.
© Gold & Goose / Red Bull Content Pool
The 2023 MotoGP season has ended and celebrated a new world champion in Italian Francesco Bagnaia. The 2024 season starts on 10th of March 2024 with the Grand Prix of Qatar in Lusail.
The race at the Sokol International Racetrack in Kazakhstan, which will take place on the 16th of June 2024, is a new addition. This makes Kazakhstan the 30th country in MotoGP history to host a Grand Prix.
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Brad Binder has earned his shot at MotoGP™ glory – see him take on the monumental challenge.
Two-time world champion Pedro Acosta will switch to the premier class in 2024 and ride alongside Augusto Fernandez for GasGas. Gresini is relying on the Márquez duo for 2024: Brothers Marc and Alex Márquez will compete on Ducati.
