After the first four days of testing in Valencia and Jerez, MotoGP™ in 2019 is shaping up to be a year to remember and just to add a little extra spice to an already mouthwatering lineup, 12 of the 22 riders have won a World Championship at some point during their career.
Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team), Maverick Viñales (Yamaha Factory Racing) and rookie Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) all have a 125/Moto3™ Championship to their name as the trio all line up on factory machinery in the premier class this season.
Then we have five Moto2™ World Champions lining up on the grid: Red Bull KTM Factory Racing teammates Pol Espargaro and Johann Zarco (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), alongside 2014 Champion Tito Rabat (Reale Avintia Racing) and 2017 Champion Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT), are joined by reigning intermediate class Champion Francesco Bagnaia (Alma Pramac Racing) – an incredibly exciting bunch of riders.
And then for the men who boast multiple MotoGP™ World Championships – three of the most successful riders of all time: nine-time World Champion Valentino Rossi (Yamaha Factory Racing), seven-time and reigning Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) and new teammate Jorge Lorenzo – a five-time Champion himself. All three also claim lower-class titles to make 2019 another tantalising MotoGP™ grid.
So, when you take into account Cal Crutchlow’s (LCR Honda Castrol) WorldSSP title, over half of the riders have claimed a World Championship. Who will be MotoGP™’s world beater in 2019?