The 2026 MotoGP grid will contain the most world champions in history

For the first time in the history of the motorcycle world championship, which began in 1949, the grid will feature a total of 15 full-time riders who are champions in one of the world categories - adding up to an astonishing 32 titles between them.

After reaching a peak of 14 champions on the grid in the 2022 season, the figure dropped to 13 over the past three years. However, the arrival of new riders for 2026 will raise the number to a historic high of 15 champions on the starting grid of the opening grand prix of the season, which will take place on 1 March in Buriram, Thailand.

Never during the 500cc era did the premier-class grid feature more than 10 world champions, a peak that remained in place even after the turn of the 21st century with the advent of the MotoGP era.

In 2002, seven world champions took part in the first grand prix of the four-stroke era, including legend Valentino Rossi, fellow Italians Loris Capirossi and Max Biaggi, and American Kenny Roberts.

With the arrival of young talents who had won titles in the intermediate classes, such as Dani Pedrosa and Jorge Lorenzo, or eventual 2007 MotoGP champion Casey Stoner, the number of world champions on the MotoGP grid rose to 12 by 2010.

Joining those already mentioned were Andrea Dovizioso, Nicky Hayden, Marco Simoncelli, Alvaro Bautista and, among others, World Superbike champion Ben Spies (2009).

Since then, the number of champions on the MotoGP grid has remained above 10, reaching 13 in 2021 and a maximum of 14 in 2022 — a record that could not be matched over the past three seasons (13). This was despite the presence of wildcard or replacement riders such as Pol Espargaro or Augusto Fernandez, who raised the total number of champions competing in MotoGP last year to 15, although never more than 13 raced together in the same grand prix.

The 2022 MotoGP grid had 14 champions

Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images

15 champions and 32 world crowns

That will change, provided injuries spare the riders, on 1 March when as many as 15 world champions line up for the first race of the 2026 season. Marc Marquez will be the leading standard-bearer among them as he defends his ninth world title and seventh in MotoGP.

Next in terms of titles is his current team-mate Francesco Bagnaia, with two in the premier class and one in Moto2, followed by one of the major new additions to the season: Turkey’s Toprak Razgatlioglu, who arrives in MotoGP with three WSBK titles.

In addition to Marquez and Bagnaia, the 2026 grid features three other premier-class world champions: Joan Mir (2020), Fabio Quartararo (2021) and Jorge Martin (2024), with the two Spaniards also having won Moto3 world titles.

The remaining nine riders — Johann Zarco, Alex Marquez, Pedro Acosta, Franco Morbidelli, Enea Bastianini, Ai Ogura, Maverick Vinales, Brad Binder and fellow rookie Diogo Moreira — complete the list of riders who have won at least one world title in the intermediate categories.

They are joined by test and development riders with world titles to their names, such as the aforementioned Espargaro (KTM) and Augusto Fernandez (Yamaha). In addition, 2011 Moto2 world champion and Honda test rider Stefan Bradl will be on the sidelines, and Spanish three-time world champion Dani Pedrosa (KTM) - which could eventually further increase the number of champions taking part in a grand prix this season.

World champions on the 2026 MotoGP grid