On June 18th, Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) finally tasted his long-awaited maiden victory in Moto3™ in his 63rd World Championship start. The Turk joined his twin brother, Can, as a Grand Prix race winner. Can Öncü had made history five years earlier at Valencia, becoming the youngest rider to achieve such a feat at just 15 years and 119 days old - a record that is unlikely to be broken with the minimum age having been raised to 18. It was also his very first wildcard entry.
But the Öncü brothers are not the only pair of siblings who have stood on the top step in the World Championship. In fact, five sets of brothers have also enjoyed Grand Prix wins…
Aleix and Pol Espargaro
Victory was also a long time coming for Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing). However, the Catalan rider finally opened his account at Termas in 2022: Aprilia's first triumph in the MotoGP™ era. His brother Pol (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3) has yet to be victorious in the premier class, but he does have 15 race wins to his name, five of which came in 125cc, and another 10 in Moto2™. What Pol has done is become a World Champion, winning the intermediate class category in 2013.
Darryn and Brad Binder
Darryn Binder's (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) only Grand Prix victory to date came at Catalunya in 2020 when he was competing in Moto3™. His elder brother Brad has a much more illustrious record though. The South African (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) has a total of 17 wins: seven in Moto3™, eight in Moto2™, and two in MotoGP™. One of the more memorable moments came at Jerez in 2016. On that day, Binder had to start from the back of the grid after being handed a penalty, but it mattered little as he scythe his way through the pack for an unforgettable win. That was the first of seven wins that helped him claim that season’s Moto3™ title. There have been two premier class wins too, the first of which came during his rookie MotoGP™ campaign in Brno that also handed KTM their first MotoGP™ win, while the second came in truly spectacular fashion as the rain fell at the 2021 Austrian Grand Prix.
Alex and Marc Marquez
Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) has claimed 12 victories: four in Moto3™ and eight in Moto2™. He was crowned World Champion in both categories in 2014 and 2019. For older brother Marc, his list of achievements is up there with greats of the sport. It all began at Mugello in 2010 on a Derbi 125cc... the first of many triumphs. Thirteen years later, Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) has won 85 races, spread across the 125cc, Moto2™, and MotoGP™ categories, with eight World Championships to his name.
The Marquez brothers are also the only siblings to have both been crowned Champions.
Nobuatsu and Haruchika Aoki
Nobuatsu claimed just one win during his career: it came at the Shah Alam track in Malaysia in 1993 in the 250cc category. Haruchika competed in the 125cc, 250cc, and 500cc categories, claiming nine victories and two titles in the 1996 & 1997 campaigns.
Dominique and Christian Sarron
Completing our list is Dominique and Christian Sarron. Dominique stood out in four 250cc races, while his elder brother achieved three more victories and was also crowned World Champion in that category in 1984. Christian also had one win in the 500cc class, coming at Hockenheim.