THE COUNTRIES THAT HAVE WON THE MOST MOTOGP/500 WORLD TITLES

Fabio Quartararo has won the title of world champion, making up for a gap in the hall of fame for the premier class: in the 72 previous editions, no Frenchman had ever succeeded in earning this accolade.​

He did so using Brembo brakes, just like all riders to have taken the MotoGP&500 World Championship title from 1994 to the present day. But Brembo brakes, despite making their first appearance in the World Championship only in the second half of the 1960s, had already equipped the bikes of world champions in 1984, 1986, 1988, 1991 and 1992.​

This brings the total of MotoGP&500 Riders’ world championships won using Brembo brake components up to 33, together with the 34 Constructors’ championships. Conversely, you have to go back to the German GP in May 21, 1995, more than twenty-six years, before you reach a premier-class GP won by a rider who didn’t use Brembo brakes. ​

​

Coming back to the achievement of Fabio Quartararo, French riders had previously picked up three 250 World Championships with Jean-Louis Tournadre (1982), Christian Sarron (1984) and Olivier Jacque (2000), as well as two 125 ones (Arnaud Vincent in 2002 and Mike Di Meglio in 2008) and the same number in Moto2 (Johann Zarco in 2015 and 2016).

This is the ranking of the countries that have won the most riders’ titles in the premier class, in ascending order.​

6th place, France & Rhodesia: one title apiece​ 

Gary Hocking won the 500 title in 1961 with MV Agusta: born in Wales, he grew up in what was once called Southern Rhodesia (Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland)​ but is now Zimbabwe. He competed in 9 of the 10 races in the calendar, recording the fastest lap in all of them and winning 7. This year, however, it only took 5 wins in 16 GPs for Frenchman Quartararo, with 10 trips to the podium. ​

5th place, Australia: eight titles​ 

The first was won by Wayne Gardner (father of Remy, leader in Moto2) in 1987 courtesy of 7 wins with Honda. It was with the same constructor that Mick Doohan picked up 5 titles running from 1994 to 1998, winning between 7 and 12 GPs a year. Casey Stoner won the last 2 World Championships, in 2007 with Ducati and four years later with Honda, winning 10GPs.​

4th place, Spain: eleven titles​ 

Victories in the premier class started coming even later for Spain. The first title was down to Alex Criville, in 1999 with Honda, earned with 6 wins. Jorge Lorenzo then took up the baton: 3-time World Champion with Yamaha, in 2010, 2012 and 2015. This mastery was followed by Marc Marquez, the world’s finest 6 times, from 2013 to 2019 with Honda. Last year, on the other hand, Joan Mir seized the crown with Suzuki.​

​3rd place, USA: fifteen titles​ 

Though in third place when it comes to the number of World Championships, they can boast the highest number of riders: no fewer than 7, outdoing the 6 of Italy and the UK. Thirteen of these fifteen titles were won between 1978 and 1993, the first 3 with Kenny Roberts (Yamaha), next by Freddie Spencer (2 with Honda), Eddie Lawson (4), Wayne Rainey (3 with Yamaha) and Kevin Schwantz (1 with Suzuki). Kenny Roberts Jr triumphed in 2000 and Nicky Hayden (Honda) picked up a win in 2006. Nine of these came courtesy of Yamaha bikes, 4 with Honda and 2 with Suzuki.​

2nd place, United Kingdom: seventeen titles​

At the outset, it was no contest: the British were the best in the world on 500cc, as demonstrated by the 13 titles picked up from 1949 to 1965, including the first in 1949 which went to Leslie Graham (AJS). Geoff Duke then emerged triumphant 4 times, as did John Surtees and Mike Hailwood afterwards. All wins on Italian bikes apart from Duke’s first (Norton). Phil Read (with MV Agusta) and Barry Sheene – alone in winning the World Championship on a Japanese bike, a Suzuki – divvied up the remaining 4 titles in the 1970s. Since 1978, however, they haven’t managed to come out on top.​

1st place, Italy: twenty titles​ 

The birthplace of the biggest winners of all time in the premier class could hardly fail to dominate the country ranking. Umberto Masetti was the first to mark the World Championship with the Italian colors, in 1950 and 1952 with Gilera, with whom Libero Liberati also won in 1957. Giacomo Agostini then took on the mantle. He was champion from 1966 to 1972 with MV Agusta and one last time in 1975 with Yamaha. Marco Lucchinelli revived this tradition in the eighties, in 1981, echoed by Franco Uncini, again with Team Gallina’s Suzukis. After the year 2000, however, Valentino Rossi held sway. He was champion from 2001 to 2005 and again in 2008 and 2009, the first three times with Honda and the next four with Yamaha.​ ​