The 2026 MotoGP grid will be the most world-title-...

For the primary time within the historical past of the bike world championship, which started in 1949, the premier-class grid will function a complete of 15 full-time riders who’re champions in one of many world classes – including as much as an astonishing 32 titles between them.

After reaching a peak of 14 champions on the grid within the 2022 season, the determine dropped to 13 over the previous three years. Nonetheless, the arrival of recent riders for 2026 will elevate the quantity to a historic excessive of 15 champions on the beginning grid of the opening grand prix of the season, which is able to happen on 1 March in Buriram, Thailand.

By no means throughout the 500cc period did the premier-class grid function greater than 10 world champions, a peak that remained in place even after the flip of the twenty first century with the arrival of the MotoGP period.

In 2002, seven world champions took half within the first grand prix of the four-stroke period, together with legend Valentino Rossi, fellow Italians Loris Capirossi and Max Biaggi, and American Kenny Roberts.

With the arrival of younger skills who had gained titles within the intermediate courses, reminiscent of Dani Pedrosa and Jorge Lorenzo, or eventual 2007 MotoGP champion Casey Stoner, the variety of world champions on the MotoGP grid rose to 12 by 2010.

Becoming a member of these already talked about had been Andrea Dovizioso, Nicky Hayden, Marco Simoncelli, Alvaro Bautista and, amongst others, World Superbike champion Ben Spies (2009).

Since then, the variety of champions on the MotoGP grid has remained above 10, reaching 13 in 2021 and a most of 14 in 2022 — a file that would not be matched over the previous three seasons (13). This was regardless of the presence of wildcard or alternative riders reminiscent of Pol Espargaro or Augusto Fernandez, who raised the whole variety of champions competing in MotoGP final yr to fifteen, though by no means greater than 13 raced collectively in the identical grand prix.

15 champions and 32 world crowns

That may change, supplied accidents spare the riders, on 1 March when as many as 15 world champions line up for the primary race of the 2026 season. Marc Marquez would be the main standard-bearer amongst them as he defends his ninth world title and seventh in MotoGP.

Subsequent when it comes to titles is his present team-mate Francesco Bagnaia, with two within the premier class and one in Moto2, adopted by one of many main new additions to the season: Turkey’s Toprak Razgatlioglu, who arrives in MotoGP with three WSBK titles.

Along with Marc and Pecco, the 2026 grid options three different premier-class world champions: Joan Mir (2020), Fabio Quartararo (2021) and Jorge Martin (2024), with the 2 Spaniards additionally having gained Moto3 world titles.

The remaining 9 riders — Johann Zarco, Alex Marquez, Pedro Acosta, Franco Morbidelli, Enea Bastianini, Ai Ogura, Maverick Vinales, Brad Binder and fellow rookie Diogo Moreira — full the listing of riders who’ve gained at the least one world title within the intermediate classes.

They’re joined by take a look at and growth riders with world titles to their names, such because the aforementioned Espargaro (KTM) and Augusto Fernandez (Yamaha). As well as, 2011 Moto2 world champion and Honda take a look at rider Stefan Bradl will likely be on the sidelines, and Spanish three-time world champion Dani Pedrosa (KTM) – which might ultimately additional enhance the variety of champions participating in a grand prix this season.

World champions on the 2026 MotoGP grid

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– The Motorsport.com Crew