Ranking the top five Yamaha riders of all time including Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo

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Valentino Rossi is arguably the greatest MotoGP rider of all time, but the Italian is only one of several iconic riders to etch their name in Yamaha’s history in the premier class.

The Japanese constructor have played an instrumental role in the history of MotoGP, despite only re-establishing a fully-fledged works team in the 1999 500cc season. Yamaha took over the team that Wayne Rainey established, having previously supported the American’s squad.

For a long time, Yamaha developed their presence in the premier class paddock by providing factory support to teams. Yamaha worked with 500cc heroes like Rainey, Kenny Roberts and even Giacomo Agostini, and the Japanese brand’s American subsidiary also once ran a team.

A host of the all-time great Yamaha riders came from the brand’s time giving factory support to 500cc teams. Rossi later established the works Yamaha outfit’s presence in MotoGP after defecting from Honda. So, with that in mind, here are the five best Yamaha riders of all time.

5) Eddie Lawson – three world titles and 26 wins in 86 races for Yamaha

Eddie Lawson made his 500cc debut riding for the Agostini Yamaha team in the 1983 season and it did not take the American long to establish a presence at the very front in the premier class. The Californian won his first title in 1984, and he was a three-time champion by 1988.

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A move to Honda in 1989 yielded the Upland native’s fourth and final title. It even marked a historic feat as, having won the title with Agostini Yamaha in 1988, Lawson became the first rider in premier class history to secure back-to-back titles with two different manufacturers.

Lawson was at his most dominant during the 1986 season with Agostini Yamaha, as he won seven of the 11 races and only failed to finish on the podium when he crashed in the Dutch TT at Assen. He beat factory Honda rider Wayne Gardner to win the 1986 title by 22 points.

4) Kenny Roberts – three world titles and 22 wins in 57 races for Yamaha

Yamaha’s American subsidiary brought Roberts to the world championship in 1978, and the brand immediately reaped the rewards. The Californian finished second on his 500cc debut at Jarama and won his second race at the Salzburgring, and he also won the title as a rookie.

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Roberts beat Suzuki’s Barry Sheene to the 1978 500cc title by 10 points, ending the Briton’s time atop the standings after back-to-back crowns in 1976 and 1977. Roberts even retained the title in 1979 by 24 points to Virginio Ferrari and in 1980 by 15 points to Randy Mamola.

Only two points would deny Roberts a fourth title after joining Agostini Yamaha for 1983, as well, as compatriot Freddie Spencer won the championship for Honda. Roberts and Spencer each won six of the 12 rounds, but the latter’s P3 at Assen eclipsed the former’s P4 in Rijeka.

Roberts furthered his legacy in the 500cc class by founding his own team upon retiring after the 1983 season. His entry debuted in the 250cc class during the 1984 season, and later the 500cc class in 1986. Roberts’ team even became the official factory Yamaha squad in 1990.

3) Wayne Rainey – three world titles and 24 wins in 83 races for Yamaha

The 1988 500cc season saw the reunion of two icons as Rainey returned to ride for Roberts’ team, having debuted in the world championship riding for his 250cc team during 1984. The Californian even finished third in the 500cc championship in 1988, and then second in 1989.

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Rainey then took advantage of Roberts’ team becoming the factory Yamaha entry in 1990 to win his first of three 500cc titles in a row. He beat compatriot Kevin Schwantz by 67 points in 1990, then Australian legend Mick Doohan by nine points in 1991 and by four points in 1992.

Roberts also saw Rainey finish second to Schwantz by 34 points in what proved to be his last season in 1993, despite having to sit out the final two rounds. Rainey broke his sixth thoracic vertebra after an uncharacteristic crash while leading the 1993 Italian Grand Prix at Misano.

Schwantz was trailing Rainey by 11 points before the Italian GP, in which the latter was set to go 23 points clear with two races left. Without the crash at Misano, Rainey would have likely won the 1993 title to cap a career in which he regularly pushed his Yamaha beyond its limits.

2) Jorge Lorenzo – three world titles and 44 wins in 156 races for Yamaha

Jorge Lorenzo debuted for the factory Yamaha team in the 2008 MotoGP season, as bosses in Iwata were keen to seal his signature after taking back-to-back 250cc titles. Also, Yamaha signed Lorenzo as they feared Rossi would leave MotoGP for F1, as he had tested for Ferrari.

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In the end, the Spaniard and the Italian forged a historic rivalry in the Yamaha garage, which ultimately saw Rossi join Ducati in 2011 only to return in 2013. Lorenzo also sits in a group of one as the only rider to win MotoGP titles against Rossi and Marc Marquez at their peaks.

Lorenzo won his first of three MotoGP titles with Yamaha during the 2010 season, when the Palma native finished 138 points clear of Honda’s Dani Pedrosa and 150 clear of Rossi. Both of his title rivals that year faced layoffs due to injury, but Lorenzo was the class of the field.

Over 18 races in 2010, Lorenzo won nine and took 16 podiums. He also made 16 trips to the podium, including after six wins, en route to taking the 2012 title by 18 points over Pedrosa. Lorenzo’s consistency won him the 2012 title, having finished 16 of the 18 races in P1 or P2.

Lorenzo also has the honour of being the only rider to deny Marquez a title from 2013-2019, having secured the 2015 title by five points over Rossi. Marquez and Rossi’s feud exploded amid Lorenzo’s 2015 title win, as the Italian felt Marquez had helped Lorenzo secure the title.

1) Valentino Rossi – four world titles and 56 wins in 255 races for Yamaha

There can only be one greatest Yamaha rider of all time, Rossi, who is arguably the greatest rider in premier class history. The Italian won four of his seven titles riding for the Iwata crew in 2004, 2005, 2008 and 2009. Rossi also finished second four times and third three times.

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Rossi’s adaptability over different eras and bikes set him apart from most of his peers, along with his unmatched personality that appealed to fans around the world. He was unbeatable at his best through a record-breaking career, which even inspired future MotoGP champions.

To this day, Rossi holds the record for the most 500cc/MotoGP race wins with 89 – of which he achieved 56 with Yamaha. Rossi is also still the most successful premier class rider in the history of the Dutch (8), Italian (7), Spanish (6), Catalan (6) and Portuguese (5) Grands Prix.

Rossi won his first premier class title in the 500cc era while riding with Nastro Azzurro Honda in 2001, before taking the works Honda squad to the top from the start of the MotoGP era in 2002 and 2003. He failed to help Ducati claim any success over the 2011 and 2012 seasons.