He was Spain’s first MotoGP winner but he quit motorbikes because he was ‘tired of dodging lampposts’

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More than 800 world championship races have been won by Spanish riders. Marc Marquez, the 2025 world champion, is single-handedly responsible for 99 of those.

Marquez overtook Angel Nieto (90 wins) during the 2025 season to become the most successful Spanish rider of all time. Jorge Lorenzo ranks sixth overall (68 wins), while Dani Pedrosa, who never managed to win a premier-class title, is tied with Mick Doohan for seventh (54).

Spain is effectively locked in a battle with Italy for MotoGP supremacy. With Giacomo Agostini and Valentino Rossi occupying the top two spots on the winners’ list, Il Bae Paese still has a sizeable lead (940 wins from 90 different riders).

There were four Spanish venues on the 2025 calendar, all of them among the best-attended races. This arrangement may not last under new owners Liberty Media, who will try to globalise the sport.

Salvador Canellas says today’s MotoGP is ‘like a different sport’

The first Spanish rider to win a Grand Prix was Salvador Canellas, who triumphed on home soil in 1968. The race took place on the Montjuic street circuit in the Barcelona hills, a venue that also featured on the Formula 1 calendar.

While Barcelona remains on the calendar, the sport now stops at the Circuit de Catalunya, a permanent venue. This was unheard of in Canellas’ time.

He recalls ‘dodging lampposts and roundabouts’ when he was racing. The resulting safety fears led him to quit motorbikes and take up rallying in the 1970s.

“It’s obvious that they are almost, almost, two different sports,” Canellas told El Periodico when comparing his era to modern MotoGP. “By that I mean that when we were racing, not just me, everything was incredibly precarious.

“There wasn’t a single permanent circuit, since Calafat wasn’t inaugurated until six years after I won at Montjuic.

“And, to be honest, I switched to cars right away because I was tired of dodging lampposts, roundabouts, and curbs.”

Who is Spain’s most recent MotoGP winner?

While Marquez missed the final four rounds due to injury, it was still a successful end to the season for Spanish riders.

Izan Guevara took his first Moto2 victory at the finale in Valencia, earning the opportunity to test for Yamaha this week.

In the lightweight class, Jose Antonio Rueda sealed the world championship, while Maximo Quiles underlined his status as a rising star with a win in Portugal.

Adrian Fernandez entered the winners’ circle at round 22, only weeks after older brother Raul graced the top step of a MotoGP podium for the first time.