Carlo UBBIALI

In the early days of MotoGP, the Italian rider Carlo Ubbiali became the first competitor to truly dominate the 125cc and 250cc classes. Born in Bergamo in 1929, he took part in the first World Championship season in 1949, won his first Grand Prix the following year, took his first title in 1951 and went on to collect nine titles in total in the smaller classes before his retirement in 1960.

John SURTEES

A star of the late 1950s, when he dominated the ‘big classes’, Englishman John Surtees remains the only person to have won the motorcycling World Championship and Formula One titles.

Freddie SPENCER

Freddie Spencer will be forever synonymous with the beginning of the wave of phenomenal American racing talent that dominated the podiums of the premier class through the 1980s and into the 1990s. Spencer’s historic 250cc and 500cc double title winning season in 1985 has also never been repeated and marks his place in the annals of the sport.

Barry SHEENE

Barry Sheene MBE took two 500cc World Championships in 1976 and 1977, though by then his credentials as a racer were well established and he was already hugely popular off-track.

Kevin SCHWANTZ

The sole 500cc title earned in 1993 does not effectively summarise the impact that Texan Kevin Schwantz had on the motorcycle racing world championship. The Suzuki stalwart amassed a huge legion of fans around the world with his flamboyant all-action riding style and propensity for spectacular crashes as he chased victory at each Grand Prix as if each race were his last.

Kenny ROBERTS

Kenny Roberts (Snr.) has made a huge contribution to MotoGP having been involved in the sport for three decades, winning three consecutive 500cc World Championships from 1978 to 1980, going on to become a highly successful team manager and fathering a World Champion son, Kenny Roberts Jnr.

Phil READ

Phil Read’s spectacular career saw him compete in the World Championship over a period of 16 years in the '60s and '70s, winning 52 Grands Prix and seven World titles across four different classes, battling against other great names such as Giacomo Agostini, Mike Hailwood and Barry Sheene.

Wayne Rainey

Wayne Rainey is the last of the great American multi-World Champions to have graced MotoGP. The Californian won three 500cc titles in a row from 1990 to 1992 and joined the ranks of those such as Kenny Roberts Snr., Freddie Spencer and Eddie Lawson in a hefty US legacy that has also been augmented by the likes of Kevin Schwantz, Kenny Roberts Jnr. and Nicky Hayden.

Angel NIETO

Angel Nieto established Spain as a motorcycling force with 13 World Championships, 90 Grand Prix wins and 139 podiums, in the 50cc, 80cc and 125cc classes over a 19 year period from 1967 to 1986.