Assen to host 800th lightweight class race

First running in 1949, the lightweight class has guaranteed excitement and drama for 799 races already

The Moto3™ race at the Dutch TT will be the 800th GP for the lightweight-class (Moto3™/125cc) of grand prix racing. Below is a selection of milestones from the 799 races that have taken place in the 1ightweight-class: 

Date

Race Number

Event

Milestone

July 1949

1

Switzerland, Berne

Italian rider Nello Pagani won the first ever GP in the 125 class riding a Mondial. Pagani went on to become the first 125cc world champion.

August 1952

14

Ulster, Clady

British rider Cecil Sandford won to become the first non-Italian to take the 125cc world title. This was also the first championship for MV Agusta.

July 1956

37

Belgium, Spa-Francorchamps

Carlo Ubbiali (MV Agusta) was the first rider to retain the 125cc championship with a run of eight successive race wins.

August 1959

59

Ulster, Dundrod

Mike Hailwood riding a Ducati became the first teenager to win a GP race.

May 1961

66

Spain, Montjuich

Tom Phillis gave Honda their first GP win.  He goes on to win the world championship - the first rider to win the 125cc title riding a bike from a Japanese manufacturer.

August 1961

73

Ulster, Dundrod

Kunimitsu Takahashi (Honda) became the first Japanese rider to win a 125cc GP

October 1962

87

Argentina, Buenos Aires

Hugh Anderson gave Suzuki their first 125cc GP victory. 

February 1964

100

USA, Daytona

Hugh Anderson (Suzuki) won the 100th race in the 125cc class.

June 1965

115

Great Britain, Isle of Man

Phi Read gave Yamaha their first 125cc GP victory.

May 1969

155

West Germany, Hockenheim

Dave Simmonds gave Kawasaki their first GP victory on his way to winning the 125cc world championship.

July 1970

170

Belgium, Spa-Francorchamps

Angel Nieto (Derbi), the most successful 125cc GP rider of all time, had his first win in the class

April 1973

200

France, Paul Ricard

Swedish rider Kent Andersson takes the 200th race in the 125cc class riding a Yamaha.  He goes on to take the title and retains it in 1974; the last 125cc title by a Yamaha rider.

June 1979

271

Dutch TT, Assen

Angel Nieto (Minarelli) took the last of 11 successive wins – the longest sequence of successive GP victories in the 125cc class.

March 1982

300

Argentina, Buenos Aires

Angel Nieto gave Garelli their first ever GP victory.

August 1987

361

San Marino, Misano

Fausto Gresini’s 11th successive win riding a Garelli which equals the record of Nieto for most successive 125cc GP victories.

April 1988

363

Spain, Jarama

Jorge Martinez (Derbi) took the first win after the introduction of the single cylinder rule, on his way to winning the world title.

April 1989

375

Australia, Phillip Island

Alex Criville (Cobas) became the youngest ever winner of a 125cc GP, on his way to becoming the youngest world champion at that time.

August 1990

395

Great Britain, Donington

Loris Capirossi (Honda) at just 17 years old becomes the youngest GP winner.  He finishes the season as youngest ever world champion – a record that still stands.

March 1991

400

Japan, Suzuka

Nobby Ueda (Honda) won on his GP debut.

August 1991

411

Czech, Brno

Alessandro Gramigni gave Aprilia their first victory in the 125 class.  Gramigni went on to take the title in 1992, the first by an Aprilia rider.

Aug 1996

476

Austria, A1 Ring

Ivan Goi (Honda) at just 16 years old, became the youngest ever winner of a GP race.

August 1996

477

Czech, Brno

Valentino Rossi (Aprilia) had his first grand prix victory.

September 1997

495

Indonesia, Sentul

Valentino Rossi won for the 11th time in 1997 – the record for most 125cc GP wins in one season.

May 1998

500

Italy, Mugello

Tomomi Manako (Honda) won the 500th GP race in the 125cc class.

June 1998

503

Dutch TT, Assen

Marco Melandri (Honda) at just 15 years old became the youngest rider to win a grand prix.

May 2002

561

Spain, Jerez

Jorge Lorenzo (Derbi) became the youngest rider to take part in a grand prix, at just 15 years and 1 day old.

August 2004

600

Czech, Brno

Jorge Lorenzo (Derbi) won the 600th GP race in the 125cc class.

June 2008

663

Great Britain, Donington

Scott Redding (Aprilia) won to take the record of youngest ever grand prix winner at the age of just 15 years and 170 days.  A record that still stands.

September 2010

700

Aragon

Pol Espargaro win the 700th grand prix in the lightweight-class on the first visit to the new Aragon circuit

November 2011

722

Valencia

Maverick Viñales (Aprilia) wins the last ever 125cc grand prix before the formula changes to Moto3™

April 2012

723

Qatar, Losail

Maverick Viñales (FTR Honda) wins the first ever grand prix race for the new Moto3™ formula catering for 250cc single-cylinder four-stroke machines

October 2012

737

Malaysia, Sepang

Sandro Cortese (KTM) wins the Malaysian Grand Prix to become the first Moto3™ world champion

August 2014

767

Czech, Brno

After a typical close Moto3 race 15th place finisher Karel Hanika crosses the line just 1.838 seconds behind race winner Alexis Masbou – the smallest margin to cover the top 15 finishers in the 68 year history of grand prix racing

June 2016

799

Catalunya, Barcelona

Home rider Jorge Navarro takes his first ever grand prix win, becoming the 149th different rider to score a grand prix victory in the Moto3™/125cc class