Marco Bezzecchi
Spanish riders have been a dominant force in the recent history of MotoGP, with all but four of the last 16 titles heading back with riders from the Iberian country.
Spain is the second most successful country in the history of the premier class. Only Italy has produced more Grand Prix winners than them.
The Grand Prix motorcycle racing infrastructure that Spain has is second to none.
Out of the 22 full-time riders that competed in the 2025 MotoGP season, nine of them were competing under a Spanish license, including the eventual title-winner, Marc Marquez.
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As well as having the most representation of riders on the grid, Spain also hosts more Grands Prix than any other country.
The premier class made four trips to the Iberian country in 2025, with Jerez, Alcaniz, Barcelona and Valencia all hosting a race weekend.
Here are the top five riders to hail from the Kingdom of Spain, including one honourable mention:
5. Jorge Martin, 8 wins
Jorge Martin earned his place in Spanish MotoGP history by doing what many previously thought was impossible in the modern landscape of Grand Prix motorcycle racing.
In 2024, The Martinator became the first rider from a satellite racing outfit to win the MotoGP title, defeating Ducati’s factory titan Francesco Bagnaia in a title fight that went all the way down to the wire.
After Martin was snubbed by Ducati in favour of Marquez, he moved to factory machinery in the form of Aprilia.
Unfortunately, the Spaniard faced an awful stroke of adversity through multiple injury nightmares, but his 2024 fairytale remains one of the greatest title feats in MotoGP history.
4. Dani Pedrosa, 31 wins
Dani Pedrosa is widely regarded as the greatest rider never to win a premier class title; he finished as runner-up on three occasions and was a mainstay threat for over a decade.
Arguably unfortunate to come up against four of the greatest riders in the history of MotoGP during his career, Pedrosa’s skill and determination were recognised upon his induction into the Hall of Fame in 2025.
Universally loved by avid fans of the premier class, Pedrosa frustrated his rivals through his precise throttle control on corner exits.
He proved to be a thorn in the side of anyone who vied for a title up until he retired from a full-time gig in the sport at the end of 2018.
3. Alex Criville, 15 wins
While he boasts half the amount of wins as Pedrosa, Alex Criville is arguably the most influential Spanish figure in the history of the premier class.
His 1999 500cc title marked the first time that the premier class title had made its way to Spain, and it served as the catalyst for the state-of-the-art infrastructure that the Iberian country has for budding Grand Prix motorcycle racers.
After spending the majority of his tenure with the Repsol Honda team in the shadow of five-time title-winner Mick Doohan, Criville seized his moment in the final year of the old millennium and dominantly dispatched Kenny Roberts Jr over the course of a 16-round season.
2. Jorge Lorenzo, 47 wins
Jorge Lorenzo’s pace in the smaller-engined categories was so frightening that even Valentino Rossi was terrified of the Spaniard upon the announcement that he would be sharing the factory Yamaha garages with The Doctor in his rookie campaign.
He remains one of the few riders to have won a premier class title with two different constructors, as well as the only rider to have beaten both Rossi and Marc Marquez to the title during their respective peaks.
Lorenzo’s most famous championship feat came in 2015, when he managed to spoil Rossi’s eighth MotoGP title celebrations by winning the final round of the season from pole position.
The atmosphere was poisonous in the Yamaha hospitality following the conclusion of the race, but Lorenzo didn’t care one bit. He was a three-time MotoGP world champion.
1. Marc Marquez, 73 wins
Marc Marquez’s 2025 title feat cemented him as the greatest Spanish rider to ever grace MotoGP and put his name firmly in the conversation of being the greatest rider ever.
His first seven seasons in the premier class saw him win six world titles and smash every conceivable record in the process.
After an injury nightmare that ruled him out of dozens of races from the start of the new decade, Marquez’s title feat with Ducati will be known as one of the best comeback stories in the history of motorsport.
Beyond his achievements, Marquez’s ultra-aggressive elbows-down riding style encapsulated the awe of fans around the world, as well as the young up-and-comers who have since arrived in the category.
Honourable mention: Angel Nieto
While Angel Nieto didn’t compete in a single premier class race, no list of Spanish Grand Prix motorcycle racing greats is complete without him.
The Spaniard won 12+1 World Championships (as he superstitiously called them) in the 50cc, 80cc, and 125cc classes, and is the man who made motorcycle racing a national passion in Spain, paving the way for every name on the list above.
Nieto remains in second place on the all-time list of world championships, behind only the legendary Giacomo Agostini.
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