They will be blowing out the candles on a very special birthday cake next weekend. The premier class of Grand Prix racing celebrates its 1000th Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring - one thousand races in 76 years of drama, heroes, villains, triumph and tragedy.
Three-quarters of a century lit up by true legends such as Duke, Surtees, Hailwood, Agostini, Rainey, Doohan, Rossi and Marquez. One thousand Grands Prix circumnavigating the globe at iconic venues: Assen, Phillip Island, the Isle of Man, Sachsenring, Indianapolis, Buriham, Buddh and Losail. A Championship that allowed technical genius and innovation to be pushed to the limit and beyond.
That first MotoGP Grand Prix had to be held at the legendary TT mountain circuit in the Isle of Man, on June 17th, 1949. The seven-lap 425km race was won by Harold Daniell riding the factory Norton.
It took 13 years to race through those first 100 MotoGP Grands Prix. The 100th at the Sachsenring in East Germany was won by Mike Hailwood riding the MV Augusta in August 1962.
Ten years earlier, at Monza in Italy, another British rider, Les Graham, brought MV Agusta their first Grand Prix win. A year later, in 1953, 44-year-old Fergus Anderson, riding the Moto Guzzi, became the oldest rider to win a premier class Grand Prix. He beat Italian Carlo Bandirola by nearly half a minute in the Spanish Grand Prix at Montjuic Park in Barcelona.
Grands Prix were long and arduous for both rider and machine. In 1957, Scotsman Bob McIntyre won the longest ever recorded race in the 76-year history of Grand Prix racing. The Gilera rider took three hours, two minutes and 57 seconds to complete eight laps of the 60.27km TT mountain circuit in the Isle of Man.
The 200th MotoGP race was held at the legendary Dutch TT venue in Assen and won by Giacomo Agostini on the MV Agusta. Six years earlier, Jim Redman brought his first win, Honda’s first win, and the first win for a Japanese factory in the MotoGP class, with victory in the West German Grand Prix in Hockenheim. Three years later, Godfrey Nash won the Yugoslavian Grand Prix on the clifftop Opatija circuit. It was the last time a single-cylinder machine won a MotoGP Grand Prix, and the two-strokes were coming. At the 1971 Ulster Grand Prix, Australian Jack Findlay won on the MotoGP Suzuki. It was the first by a two-stroke machine.
Barry Sheene celebrated the 300th MotoGP Grand Prix ten years later, winning his last Grand Prix at Anderstorp in 1981. It was his only win on a Yamaha, and it was another 35 years and 533 Grands Prix before another British rider found success in the premier class.
In 1973, Jarno Saarinen won the French Grand Prix at Paul Ricard. It was the first time a four-cylinder two-stroke machine won a MotoGP race. Finnish rider Saarinen had been brought in to spearhead Yamaha’s assault in the MotoGP class, but tragically was killed at Monza a few weeks later. Three years later, at the old Nürburgring road circuit, both Agostini and MV Agusta secured their last MotoGP wins at the 1976 West German Grand Prix. It was also the last win by a four-stroke motorcycle in the MotoGP class. Ago, who had dominated the class for so long, bowed out with his 68th MotoGP victory.
At the 1977 Belgian Grand Prix, Barry Sheene, riding the four-cylinder RG 500 Suzuki, set the fastest ever average speed in 76 years of Grand Prix racing. The World Champion averaged 217.37 km/h competing in the ten-lap race around the 14.120km Spa-Francorchamps circuit.
Grands Prix were coming fast and furious, and in 1989, we reached the 400th mark with Eddie Lawson winning for Honda at Le Mans in France. In July 1982, American Freddie Spencer won his first MotoGP Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium. It was the first win for the Honda three-cylinder two-stroke machine, and ‘Fast Freddie’ was the youngest MotoGP Grand Prix winner at the time, until a certain Marc Marquez arrived.
Seven years later, the half century came along with Mick Doohan winning a rain-shortened race at Imola in Italy. 81 Grands Prix later, the first race allowing 990-cc four-strokes to compete alongside MotoGP two-stroke machines at Suzuka in Japan, was won by Valentino Rossi, riding the four-stroke Honda. Just six months later, in 2002, Loris Capirossi’s third place at Motegi in Japan was the last ever two-stroke podium finish in the premier class.
Sete Gibernau celebrated the 600th Grand Prix by beating Rossi in a tremendous Le Mans battle in a race shortened because of rain. Two Grands Prix later in 2003, Capirossi brought Ducati their first premier class win in Barcelona.
Rossi switched camps in 2004 from Honda to Yamaha and once again rewrote the history books. He won the opening Grand Prix of the season at Welkom in South Africa. Rossi is the only rider to win successive premier class races on motorcycles from two different manufacturers.
Just three Grands Prix later, the shortest ever premier class race was staged at Mugello in Italy. Rossi took just 12 minutes, 6.803 seconds to win the six-lap encounter. The original race was stopped after 17 laps because of rain. The rules were changed to the flag-to-flag format allowing riders to swap machines with different tyres during the race. The first time it was implemented was two years after Mugello at Phillip Island in Australia in the Grand Prix won by Marco Melandri.
In that same year, Australian Troy Bayliss won the final Grand Prix in Valencia. It was the first time a World Superbike Champion had won a premier class race. In 2007 the capacity of MotoGP machines was reduced to 800cc. Casey Stoner brought Ducati victory at the first race of the season in Qatar, riding the Ducati.
A year later, at the 681st Grand Prix, the Losail circuit in Qatar staged the first-ever Grand Prix to be held under floodlights. A very different proposition from that first Grand Prix in the Isle of Man 59 years earlier. Stoner again won the race for Ducati, which he repeated a year later in the first premier class Grand Prix to be run under the single tyre rule.
Jorge Lorenzo won the 700th Grand Prix at Motegi in 2009. It was just the second MotoGP win for the Spanish Yamaha rider. His first had come 16 Grands Prix earlier. A year later, Rossi won the opening round in Qatar to start the year, where riders were restricted to using six engines through the season. In race number 750, it was fitting for Stoner to win the last Grand Prix in the 800cc era for Honda at Valencia in 2011.
Lorenzo was victorious in the first race in the new 1000cc era. A year later in 2013, Marc Marquez became the youngest ever premier class winner, with victory for Honda at the new Circuit of the Americas in Texas. It was just his second MotoGP race. The 795th Grand Prix was held at the Sachsenring in 2014. Bradley Smith finished in 19th place, just 56.293 second behind race winner Marquez. It was the first time in a fully completed premier class Grand Prix that the first 19 riders had crossed the line under one minute. The same year, Rossi won at home in Misano. It was his first win for over a year, and he became the rider with the longest winning career of all time in Grand Prix racing.
Lorenzo celebrated the 800th Grand Prix with a 10-second win at Aragon in a flag-to-flag race. In March 2016, new rules were introduced which included the use of a spec ECU and software package. Michelin replaced Bridgestone as the sole tyre supplier. At the 833rd Grand Prix at Brno, the same year Cal Crutchlow was the first British premier class winner for 35 long years. Three Grands Prix later at Sepang in Malaysia, Andrea Dovizioso was the ninth winner of the season. It’s still the most different winners in a single season.
A year later, Rossi won his 89th Grand Prix in the premier class when he secured the last win of his career at Assen. In August 2020 rookie Brad Binder brought KTM their first MotoGP victory at Brno. Two Grands Prix later, KTM celebrated again at the 900th Grand Prix. Miguel Olivera secured a home win at the Red Bull Ring to become the first and only Portuguese rider to win a premier class Grand Prix.
Into the final decade, and in 2021 at Qatar Fabio Quartararo and Johan Zarco were the first French riders to finish first and second in premier class history. The same year at Silverstone, six different manufacturers finished in the top six for the first time since 1974.
In November of the same year, Valentino Rossi rode his final Grand Prix in Valencia. It was his 372nd premier class start that represented over 40% of the entire Championship. Aleix Espargaro brought Aprilia their first premier class win a year later in Argentina. Fifteen Grands Prix later Alex Rins won at Phillip Island in the closest ever premier class finish. Just 0.884s covered the first seven finishers.
In April 2024, Maverick Vinales won in Austin to become the first rider in the MotoGP era to win for three different manufacturers. Five months later, Marc Marquez won for the first time on a Ducati in Aragon. It was his first win in 1043 days since his previous win at Misano in 202. Ducati grabbed their 100th premier class win in Misano and then filled the first six places at Phillip Island.
At the 988th Grand Prix this year, Marc and Alex Marquez finished first and second in Thailand. It was the first 1st and 2nd brothers finish in any class of Grand Prix racing. Two months later Johan Zarco’s victory at Le Mans was the first French home victory for 71 years. His Honda win ended a sequence of 22 successive victories for Ducati.
Take a deep breath, blow out the candles and prepare for the next 1000 Grands Prix. The World will change beyond all recognition, but racing will always be racing.