List of 250cc/Moto2 World Riders' Champions

Grand Prix motorcycle racing is the premier championship of motorcycle road racing, which has been divided into three classes: MotoGP, Moto2, and Moto3. Former classes that have been discontinued include 350cc, 250cc, 125cc, 50cc/80cc, MotoE, and Sidecar.[1] 250cc is the intermediate category; the 250cc refers to the size of the engines of the motorcycles that race in that class. For the engines configuration is inline-four since 2010 until 2018 and changed to inline-three since 2019. The Grand Prix Road-Racing World Championship was established in 1949 by the sport's governing body, the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM), and is the oldest motorsport world championship. The 250cc class was replaced in 2010 by a new class called Moto2. The 250cc engines were replaced by 600cc engines, which were supplied by Honda to all teams.[2] Since 2019, the Moto2 class engines are supplied by Triumph to all teams, and changed the engines from 600cc to 765cc.
Points earned in these events count toward the riders' and constructors' world championships. The rider's and constructor's championship are separate championships, but are based on the same point system. The number of points awarded at the end of each race to the top 15 qualifying riders depends on their placement. Points received by each finisher, from first 1st place to 15th place: 25, 20, 16, 13, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Historically, there have been several points systems.[3] Results from all current Grands Prix count towards the championships; in the past, only a certain number of results were counted.[4]
Phil Read and Max Biaggi have won the most championships, with four each. Dani Pedrosa is the youngest to win the championship; he was 19 years and 18 days old when he won the championship in 2004.[5] Italian riders have won the most championships; 16 riders have won a total of 25 championships. Riders from Spain have won the second most; ten riders have won a total of thirteen championships. Great Britain have won the third most, as four riders have won a total of nine championships. Bruno Ruffo won the inaugural championship in 1949. Hiroshi Aoyama was the last rider to win the 250cc championship in 2009. Toni Elías was the first champion of the Moto2 category.[6] Diogo Moreira is the current champion; he won the 2025 Moto2 World Championship.
Champions
[edit]| * | Champion also won 500cc Championship in that season |
| † | Champion also won 350cc Championship in that season |
| ‡ | Champion also won 125cc Championship in that season |
| — | Indicates information is not available |
- The "Season" column refers to the season the competition was held, and wikilinks to the article about that season.
- The "Margin" column refers to the margin of points by which the winner defeated the runner-up.
By season
[edit]Multiple champions
[edit]| Rider | Total | Seasons |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | 1964, 1965, 1968, 1971 | |
| 4 | 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997 | |
| 3 | 1956, 1959, 1960 | |
| 3 | 1961, 1966, 1967 | |
| 3 | 1974, 1975, 1976 | |
| 3 | 1980, 1981, 1987 | |
| 2 | 1949, 1951 | |
| 2 | 1953, 1954 | |
| 2 | 1962, 1963 | |
| 2 | 1978, 1979 | |
| 2 | 1983, 1986 | |
| 2 | 1988, 1989 | |
| 2 | 1991, 1992 | |
| 2 | 2004, 2005 | |
| 2 | 2006, 2007 | |
| 2 | 2015, 2016 |
By constructor
[edit]| Constructor | Total |
|---|---|
| 16 | |
| 14 | |
| 13 | |
| 9 | |
| 4 | |
| 4[af] | |
| 3 | |
| 3 | |
| 3 | |
| 2 | |
| 1 | |
| 1 | |
| 1 | |
| 1 | |
| 1 | |
| 1 |
By nationality
[edit]| Nationality | Riders | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 16 | 25 | |
| 10 | 13 | |
| 4 | 9 | |
| 5 | 8 | |
| 4 | 5 | |
| 4 | 4 | |
| 2 | 2 | |
| 2 | 2 | |
| 1 | 2 | |
| 1 | 2 | |
| 1 | 2 | |
| 1 | 1 | |
| 1 | 1 | |
| 1 | 1 |
Notes
[edit]- ^ Bruno Ruffo missed out one race in 1949.
- ^ Bruno Ruffo missed out four races in 1951.
- ^ Enrico Lorenzetti missed out two races in 1952.
- ^ Werner Haas missed out one race in 1953.
- ^ Werner Haas missed out two races in 1954.
- ^ Carlo Ubbiali missed out one race in 1956.
- ^ Tarquinio Provini missed out three races in 1958.
- ^ Carlo Ubbiali missed out two races in 1959.
- ^ Mike Hailwood missed out one race in 1961.
- ^ Jim Redman missed out one race in 1962.
- ^ Jim Redman missed out one race in 1963.
- ^ Pill Read missed out three races in 1964.
- ^ Pill Read missed out three races in 1965.
- ^ Mike Hailwood missed out two races in 1966.
- ^ Mike Hailwood missed out one race in 1967.
- ^ Hailwood won on countback by having five wins compared to Phil Read's four.[8]
- ^ Pill Read missed out two races in 1968.
- ^ Read and Bill Ivy had equal number of points, identical ranks obtained in all races (five wins and two second places each), and equal number of races in which they classified (seven races). To break the tie, their time in each of the four races where they both finished (namely the Dutch, East German, Czechoslovak, and Nations Grand Prix) were added up. Read's total time of 3:15:22.9 is faster than Ivy's 3:17:22.2, and thus Read was declared champion.[9]
- ^ Kel Carruthers missed out three races in 1969.
- ^ Rodney Gould missed out three races in 1970.
- ^ Pill Read missed out five races in 1971.
- ^ Jarno Saarinen missed out two races in 1972.
- ^ Dieter Braun missed out five races in 1973.
- ^ Walter Villa missed out four races in 1974.
- ^ Walter Villa missed out five races in 1975.
- ^ Walter Villa missed out two races in 1976.
- ^ Mario Lega missed out two races in 1977.
- ^ Kork Ballington missed out one race in 1978.
- ^ Kork Ballington missed out one race in 1979.
- ^ Freddie Spencer missed out two races in 1985.
- ^ Ai Ogura missed out one race in 2024.
- ^ Anton Mang won the 1980 championship using Krauser-branded Kawasaki motorcycles. MotoGP still counts this as a win under the Kawasaki brand.
References
[edit]Bibliography
- Marshall, Anne (1997). Guinness Book of Knowledge. Guinness Publishing. ISBN 0-85112-046-6.
Specific
- ^ Marshall 1997, p. 289
- ^ "2010 Moto2 class to be powered by Honda". MotoGP. 2 May 2009. Archived from the original on 6 January 2010. Retrieved 8 August 2009.
- ^ "FIM Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix Regulations 2009" (PDF). Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme. 31 January 2009. p. 44. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 March 2012. Retrieved 2 September 2009.
- ^ "Key Rules". MotoGP. Archived from the original on 9 March 2012. Retrieved 3 February 2012.
- ^ "Dani Pedrosa". Laureus. Archived from the original on 22 June 2022. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
- ^ "Elías makes history as first Moto2 World Champion". Dorna Sports. 10 October 2010. Archived from the original on 24 December 2013. Retrieved 9 November 2010.
- ^ Haefliger, Werner. "Intermediate class". FIM MotoGP Results 1949–2023 Guide (2024 ed.). pp. 654–655. ISBN 978-2-9701086-8-9.
- ^ Haefliger, Werner. "Intermediate class". FIM MotoGP Results 1949–2023 Guide (2024 ed.). p. 71. ISBN 978-2-9701086-8-9.
- ^ Haefliger, Werner. "Intermediate class". FIM MotoGP Results 1949–2023 Guide (2024 ed.). p. 75. ISBN 978-2-9701086-8-9.