Marco Bezzecchi
Italy is the most successful country in the history of Grand Prix motorcycle racing. 27 different Italian riders have won a premier class race.
Spain has had 16 different winners, but their combined tally of 212 victories falls short of Italy’s benchmark (294).
There are two races in Italy, while six of the 11 teams on the grid are based there. With stops at Mugello and Misano, the country is arguably MotoGP’s heartland.
Here, MotoGP News ranks the top five Italian riders. Honourable mentions go to the likes of Loris Capirossi, Luca Cadalora, Enea Bastianini and Marco Bezzecchi, all of whom have won several races but don’t quite make the cut.
5. Max Biaggi, 13 wins
Max Biaggi is one of the best riders never to win the MotoGP title; he finished runner-up three times, including his rookie season, and third on three more occasions.
A four-time 250cc champion, Biaggi was involved in a bitter rivalry with Valentino Rossi, his fellow countryman.
In a recent interview, Giacomo Agostini named Biaggi on his dream MotoGP grid.
4. Andrea Dovizioso, 15 wins
Across all classes, Biaggi might edge Andrea Dovizioso, who won his only title on 125cc machinery. But ‘Dovi’ just shades it at the highest level.
While it might not have been as intense as Rossi vs Biaggi, Dovizioso developed a thrilling rivalry with Marc Marquez at the end of the 2010s. He too may have peaked at the wrong time, with his best seasons coming just before Marquez’s injury absence.
While he didn’t reap all the rewards, Dovizioso played a crucial role in Ducati’s ascent to MotoGP dominance, with the team choosing to build around him rather than the mighty Jorge Lorenzo.
Who is the greatest rider never to win a MotoGP title?
3. Francesco Bagnaia, 31 wins
When Dovizioso left the Ducati factory team at the end of the 2019 season, Francesco Bagnaia replaced him. Bagnaia is arguably Ducati’s greatest rider and remains their only multiple champion, for now at least.
His struggles alongside Marquez in 2025 may indicate that he’s just outside the top tier of MotoGP talents. But Bagnaia’s record of 31 wins and 27 poles (top 10 all-time in both categories) commands respect.
2. Valentino Rossi, 89 wins
In truth, it’s difficult to separate Rossi and Giacomo Agostini, the clear top two. ‘The Doctor’ dominated MotoGP in the noughties, winning all seven of his top-tier titles between 2001 and 2009.
Even with Marquez on a Ducati, Rossi’s all-time record of 89 MotoGP wins is likely to stand for at least another year.
More than a rider, Rossi transcended the sport. He may have grown MotoGP’s popularity more than any other individual, and that holds some weight in the ‘GOAT’ debates.
When will Marc Marquez beat Valentino Rossi’s MotoGP records?
1. Giacomo Agostini, 68 wins
While Agostini’s 15 titles were split almost evenly between the 350s and 500s, the additional premier-class title gives him the narrowest edge over Rossi.
The best possible endorsement came from Alex Marquez, Marc’s brother, who declared in 2025 that Agostini is still the greatest MotoGP rider ever.
Between the mid-1960s and late 1970s, he was as dominant as any athlete in any sport has ever been.
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