Mike doohan vs valentino rossi biography
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This has set him up for an outstanding pole rate of 35.75%, and led to him winning seven titles in his 14 seasons of racing.
Australian Mick Doohan is a close second. With 89 500cc Grand Prix victories under his belt, spanning from 2000 to 2017, Rossi has more top-class wins than any other rider. While he rode away from the field during his consecutive championship years, his final title was hotly contested with British rider Phil Read.
Honda has been a dominant force throughout the history of the sport, with fellow Japanese team Yamaha the second-closest constructor with 245 victories.
| Position | Rider | Number of wins |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Honda 🇯🇵 | 314 |
| 2 | Yamaha 🇯🇵 | 245 |
| 3 | MV Agusta 🇮🇹 | 139 |
| 4 | Ducati 🇮🇹 | 123 |
| 5 | Suzuki 🇯🇵 | 97 |
Most MotoGP world championships by a constructor
Honda – 25 championships
As you might expect with so many wins and championship-winning riders, Honda also has the most premier class constructors’ championships with 25.
Check out his MotoGP™ Legend profile to learn more about his fascinating career.
MotoGP records: Most wins, poles, championships and more
Find out which MotoGP riders and constructors have the most wins, pole positions and championships, including Valentino Rossi and Marc Marquez
MotoGP is the most premier motorcycle racing series in the world, with an illustrious history of competitive on-track action.
Many already believe he is. There isn’t one.
| Position | Rider | Number of Poles |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marc Marquez 🇪🇸 | 74 |
| 2 | Mick Doohan 🇦🇺 | 58 |
| 3 | Valentino Rossi 🇮🇹 | 55 |
| 4 | Jorge Lorenzo 🇪🇸 | 43 |
| 5 | Casey Stoner 🇦🇺 | 39 |
Most riders’ championships
Giacomo Agostini – 8 championships
Two Italians top the table for most titles.
Yamaha has taken 14 championships, which are scattered around sporadic periods of success since its first in 1974. What's happening right now is it's hard to know if anyone else has Marquez's speed ».
Doohan concluded : " Today's motorcycles are amazing, but could anyone ride them without all the electronics?
The MotoGP™ Legend from Brescia was so good that he won every MotoGP race that he finished over five seasons from 1968 to 1972!
Rossi’s seven premier class titles came over seasons from 2001-2009, whilst for Doohan it was five in a row in the 1990s.
A theoretical ranking of MotoGP™ champions could also include numbers of race victories and podium finishes, career longevity and consistency, head-to-head records, rivals faced off and the impact on the sport and its international fan base.
For those wishing to learn more about some of the best ever riders to grace the racetrack, ourMotoGP™ Legends section has detailed profiles on talents such as Agostini, Doohan, Rossi and Marquez.
Likewise, there is great detail on the careers of other top MotoGP™ legends such as Casey Stoner, Jorge Lorenzo, Kevin Schwantz, Wayne Rainey, Freddie Spencer, Kenny Roberts, Barry Sheene, Geoff Duke, John Surtees and many, many more.
Criteria for determining who is the best MotoGP™ rider of all time?
With regard to pure success metrics on track we can compare each rider’s career statistics in terms of:
- MotoGP world titles
- MotoGP victories
- MotoGP podiums
- Total world titles in all classes
- Total victories in all classes
- Total podiums in all classes
In addition to considering the achievements of the most prolific title winners in the history of Grand Prix racing in terms of pure statistics, we might also consider factors such as the time period over which they enjoyed dominance and success.
As we delve in the profiles and career histories of the best ever MotoGP™ riders, we will examine details such as the eras in which they rode, the entertainment value of their battles with rivals and the personal traits which gained them so much popularity and success.
Top contenders for the crown
Giacomo Agostini: an unparalleled record of championship wins
Giacomo Agostini is widely considered to be the greatest rider in the history of motorcycle racing and his glittering career spanned 14 seasons, with his period of dominance commencing in the mid 1960s and running well into the 1970s.
He very rarely crashed and took a sensational total of 122 Grand Prix wins, winning 15 World Championship titles, eight in the 500cc premier class and seven in 350cc, often competing in both categories on the same day.
In 1966 Agostini became a World Champion for the first time, clinching the 500cc title with MV Agusta at the last GP of the season, before he retained the crown in 1967.
However…
In 1999, the serious injury occurred on the 500 which really had to be tamed. To change the situation, certain riders that critics consider to be in their comfort zone choose another motorcycle, to show that with any bottle, they can make you drunk. Those who don’t would likely vote for Valentino Rossi. However, his feat is all the more impressive given how fewer races were contested during the 1960s and 1970s.
Some watched Casey Stoner drift around the corner that now bears his name and they decided then and there that magic was real.
It’s all about opinion and subjective debate – and we’re here for it!
The greatest MotoGP™ riders ever: Head-to-head comparisons
Let’s take a closer look at some of the key career achievements which may define a virtual shortlist of MotoGP™’s best ever riders.
In terms of most wins in the premier class that chart sees Rossi way out ahead of the pack:
Rider | Number of premier class victories |
Valentino Rossi | 89 |
Giacomo Agostini | 68 |
Marc Marquez | 62* |
Mick Doohan | 54 |
*Statistic correct prior to the start of the 2025 MotoGP™ World Championship
Rossi’s remarkable total of 89 premier class wins were achieved over a period spanning 18 years, whilst he also amassed a huge total of 199 podiums in his record 372 top level races.
Valentino was fast from the start and that's why I wanted him with me, it would have been a difficult challenge I'm sure. Behind Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa, Marquez and Doohan feature in the top five.
Marquez is likely to move up the ranking in 2025, having already achieved 111 podiums in 58.7% of his 189 MotoGP™ races up to the end of the 2024 season.