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About MotoGP
As the oldest motorsport World Championship in existence today, MotoGP continues to deliver first-class racing through cutting edge technology. Find out more about how the premier motorcycle racing series has changed since its beginnings in 1949.
A Short History of MotoGP
Ducati MotoGP bike on the racetrack
MotoGP is the premier motorcycle racing championship in the world: an eighteen-race series visiting fourteen countries, on four continents with pan-global television coverage. The world’s most skilled riders line a grid, armed with cutting-edge motorcycle technology with prototype machinery.
Established as a world championship by the FIM (Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme) in 1949, MotoGP is now into its 63rd year. It is the oldest motorsport championship in the world and is steeped in rich history with Grand Prix events having taken place in every corner of the world. More than 2.2 million people came through the gates of the circuits to watch MotoGP in 2010.
Formerly called ‘500cc’, the championship underwent a change in 2002 with new technical regulations permitting the introduction of four-stroke machinery with the engine capacity increased to 990cc, thus becoming MotoGP. In 2007 the rules were again altered, limiting engine capacity to 800cc. From 2012 the new 1,000cc era begins.
Ducati MotoGP bike in the garage
The current MotoGP World Champion is Yamaha rider Jorge Lorenzo who claimed his second MotoGP World Championship. The championship saw Dani Pedrosa (Honda) finish runner-up behind him after some fantastic battles along the way, with Casey Stoner (Honda) placing third. The new 2013 Season Ducati rider Andrea Dovizioso finished fourth just missing out on a podium place while Nicky Hayden challenged for a top-ten finish and ended the season ninth respectively.
