Marco Bezzecchi
The United Kingdom has had a rich history in motorcycle Grand Prix racing, particularly in the premier class’ early years.
In fact, Leslie Graham was the first 500cc champion in 1949. To this day, Graham is the oldest premier class champion, while Marc Marquez is the oldest MotoGP champion, having surpassed Valentino Rossi in 2025.
A total of 26 riders from the United Kingdom have won 141 races in the premier class, putting the nation fourth on the records. However, their dynasty is not quite as strong as Italy’s or Spain’s greatest MotoGP riders.
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In recent years, fewer British riders have made it to MotoGP. Cal Crutchlow was the latest in 2023, while Jake Dixon was linked with a seat in 2026 but ended up joining Honda in World Superbikes.
While the talent pool is not as large, the nation still has an incredible history, with some of MotoGP’s greatest talents hailing from Britain. Here, MotoGP News has picked out the five best riders from the UK.
5 Phil Read – 11 wins
Starting his motorcycle Grand Prix career in 1961, Phil Read enjoyed huge success in the lower categories. He won both 125cc and 250cc titles in 1968 and won three more in the latter class.
Making his debut in the 500cc category, known today as MotoGP, with Ducati in 1971, he joined MV Agusta in 1973. Giacomo Agostini dominated the sport with the team for the past seven years, but Read put an end to the Italian’s reign.
The Brit dominated the championship in 1973 and 1974, winning four races in both seasons. Teammate Agostini finished 27 points behind Read in 1973, and he beat his replacement, Franco Bonera, by 13 points for the title in 1974 as Agostini moved to Yamaha.
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4 Barry Sheene – 19 wins
Barry Sheene is the latest premier class champion from the UK, winning consecutive titles in 1976 and 1977.
A Formula 750 champion with Suzuki, he joined the 500cc category with the Japanese manufacturer and utterly dominated the sport for his two championship wins.
Sheene was the only multiple winner in 1976, winning all but one of the six races he competed in and finishing second in the other. He claimed six wins in 1977 and won the title with 107 points.
3 Geoff Duke – 22 wins
After Graham’s success in 1949, Geoff Duke became the next British champion in the premier class. Back in the 1950s and 1960s, it was common for riders to compete in two classes simultaneously, and Duke did so with dominance.
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He won the 250cc and 500cc championships in 1951, winning nine races across the categories. Claiming the former title for a second time in 1952, he committed to the premier class with Gilera, a partnership that proved to be unbeatable.
Duke won three 500cc titles in a row between 1953 and 1955. He would only win two more premier class races afterwards, but his 22 victories puts him among the UK’s best motorcycle riders.
2 John Surtees – 22 wins
John Surtees is perhaps more well-known in the Formula 1 world, but before venturing into cars, he had an incredibly successful career on two wheels.
Winning his first 500cc title in 1956, Surtees enjoyed three years of complete dominance. He won both the 250cc and premier class titles in 1958, 1959 and 1960, winning every race he competed in in the first two years.
In 1960, he simultaneously made his F1 debut with Lotus, before committing to four wheels the following season. Surtees would go on to become the second British driver to win the championship in 1964 with Ferrari.
To this day, he is the only person to win on two and four wheels, a feat that will likely never be achieved again. But despite his incredible achievements, Surtees misses out on the top spot.
1 Mike Hailwood – 37 wins
Ranked as the seventh winningest rider in premier class history with 37 victories, Mike Hailwood takes the number one spot on this list.
Winning his first motorcycle Grand Prix championship in 1961 in the 250cc class, his first 500cc title came the following year with MV Agusta. Hailwood used the Italian manufacturer’s machinery to his advantage and won four premier class titles in a row between 1962 and 1965.
Leaving MV Agusta for Honda the following year, allowing Agostini to start his dynasty in the premier class, Hailwood won the 250cc and 350cc titles in 1966 and 1967, giving him nine overall titles.
In total, in 152 races, he won 76 of them, giving him a scarcely believable 50% win ratio across his career. Add 112 podiums and 79 fastest laps, and Hailwood certainly stands as one of the sport’s all-time greats.
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