By Dan Moakes
March 18 2016

The 2016 FIM MotoGP World Championship series: The new season of racing starts this weekend, with Yamaha factory rider Jorge Lorenzo aiming for his fourth title in the MotoGP class as he starts the defence of his 2015 crown.  Here are the essential details on who’s who among the riders this year.

The 2016 FIM MotoGP World Championship:
MotoGP’s 1000cc four-stroke engine formula continues for the year ahead, with Grand Prix motorcycle racing’s premier class seeing a continuation of the technical split between Factory works prototype machinery and the more affordable Open category of customer bikes. There is also a change of tyre supplier, with Michelin returning; plus there will be more restrictions on electronics.

As ever, there is no shortage of experience and talent amongst the latest contingent of riders, with three previous MotoGP champions on the grid, following Nicky Hayden’s move into Superbikes: they are Valentino Rossi, Jorge Lorenzo and Marc Márquez. Further MotoGP race winners within the field are regular title contender Dani Pedrosa, plus his former Honda team-mate Andrea Dovizioso.

In all, the rider line-up includes fifteen Grand Prix winners and eleven World Champions, with just a single graduate to the premier class this year - Esteve ‘Tito’ Rabat, the Moto2 champion in 2014. Here is a biographical rundown for all the contenders.

Valentino Rossi, Italy
age 37 · first GP 1996
racing number: 46
GP entries: 332, total points: 5418
GP wins: 112 (125cc, 250cc, 500cc, 990cc, 800cc, 1000cc)
GP podium results: 211 (175 in MotoGP)
World Champion: 125cc 1997 · 250cc 1999 · 500cc 2001 · MotoGP 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009
National Champion*: Italian 125cc 1995
also: a race winner in World Endurance

Dani Pedrosa, Spain
age 30 · first GP 2001
racing number: 26
GP entries: 250, total points: 3680
GP wins: 51 (125cc, 250cc, 990cc, 800cc, 1000cc)
GP podium results: 141 (100 in MotoGP)
World Champion: 125cc 2003 · 250cc 2004, 2005
best season in MotoGP: 2nd 2007, 2010, 2012

Andrea Dovizioso, Italy
age 29 · first GP 2001
racing number: 4
GP entries: 241, total points: 2690
GP wins: 10 (125cc, 250cc, 800cc)
GP podium results: 70 (29 in MotoGP)
World Champion: 125cc 2004
best season in MotoGP: 3rd 2011
European Champion: 125cc 2001

Jorge Lorenzo, Spain
age 28 · first GP 2002
racing number: 99
GP entries: 235, total points: 3414
GP wins: 61 (125cc, 250cc, 800cc, 1000cc)
GP podium results: 135 (97 in MotoGP)
World Champion: 250cc 2006, 2007 · MotoGP 2010, 2012, 2015

Héctor Barberá, Spain
age 29 · first GP 2002
racing number: 8
GP entries: 229, total points: 1595
GP wins: 10 (125cc, 250cc)
GP podium results: 32 (none in MotoGP)
best MotoGP result: 5th
best season in MotoGP: 11th 2011, 2012
best season in GPs: 2nd 2004 125cc & 2009 250cc
National Champion*: Spanish 125cc 2002

Álvaro Bautistá, Spain
age 31 · first GP 2002
racing number: 19
GP entries: 224, total points: 1809
GP wins: 16 (125cc, 250cc)
GP podium results: 49 (3 in MotoGP)
best MotoGP result: 3rd
World Champion: 125cc 2006
best season in MotoGP: 5th 2012
National Champion*: Spanish 125cc 2003

Aleix Espargaró, Spain
age 26 · first GP 2004
racing number: 41
GP entries: 179, total points: 772
GP podium results: 2 (1 in MotoGP)
best MotoGP result: 2nd
best season in MotoGP: 7th 2014
National Champion*: Spanish 125cc 2004

Eugene Laverty, Northern Ireland
age 29 · first GP 2004
racing number: 50
GP entries: 49, total points: 23
best MotoGP result: 12th
best season in MotoGP: 22nd 2015
best season in GPs: 21st 2008 250cc
also: race wins in World Superbike and World Supersport, runner-up overall in each series

Andrea Iannone, Italy
age 26 · first GP 2005
racing number: 29
GP entries: 181, total points: 1208.5
GP wins: 12 (125cc, 600cc)
GP podium results: 27 (3 in MotoGP)
best MotoGP result: 2nd
best season in MotoGP: 5th 2015
best season in GPs: 3rd 2010, 2011, 2012 Moto2

Tito Rabat, Spain
age 26 · first GP 2005
racing number: 53
GP entries: 162, total points: 1303
GP wins: 13 (600cc)
GP podium results: 36
World Champion: Moto2 2014

Stefan Bradl, Germany
age 26 · first GP 2005
racing number: 6
GP entries: 160, total points: 1112
GP wins: 7 (125cc, 600cc)
GP podium results: 19 (1 in MotoGP)
best MotoGP result: 2nd
World Champion: Moto2 2011
best season in MotoGP: 7th 2013
National Champion*: German 125cc 2005

Bradley Smith, England
age 25 · first GP 2006
racing number: 38
GP entries: 169, total points: 1365.5
GP wins: 3 (125cc)
GP podium results: 25 (2 in MotoGP)
best MotoGP result: 2nd
best season in MotoGP: 6th 2015
best season in GPs: 2nd 2009 125cc
also: a race winner in World Endurance

Pol Espargaró, Spain
age 24 · first GP 2006
racing number: 44
GP entries: 159, total points: 1566.5
GP wins: 15 (125cc, 600cc)
GP podium results: 44 (none in MotoGP)
best MotoGP result: 4th
World Champion: Moto2 2013
best season in MotoGP: 6th 2014
National Champion*: Spanish 125cc 2006
also: a race winner in World Endurance

Scott Redding, England
age 23 · first GP 2008
racing number: 45
GP entries: 137, total points: 871.5
GP wins: 4 (125cc, 600cc)
GP podium results: 16 (1 in MotoGP)
best MotoGP result: 3rd
best season in MotoGP: 12th 2014
best season in GPs: 2nd 2013 Moto2

Marc Márquez, Spain
age 23 · first GP 2008
racing number: 93
GP entries: 134, total points: 1980
GP wins: 50 (125cc, 600cc, 1000cc)
GP podium results: 78 (39 in MotoGP)
World Champion: 125cc 2010 · Moto2 2012 · MotoGP 2013, 2014

Yonny Hernández, Colombia
age 27 · first GP 2010
racing number: 68
GP entries: 101, total points: 233
best MotoGP result: 7th
best GP result: 6th (Moto2)
best season in MotoGP: 14th 2015

Cal Crutchlow, England
age 30 · first GP 2011
racing number: 35
GP entries: 89, total points: 608
GP podium results: 8 (all in MotoGP)
best MotoGP result: 2nd
World Champion: Supersport 2009
best season in MotoGP: 5th 2013
National Champion*: British Supersport 2006
also: race wins in World Superbike

Maverick Viñales, Spain
age 21 · first GP 2011
racing number: 25
GP entries: 87, total points: 1149
GP wins: 16 (125cc, 250cc (Moto3), 600cc)
GP podium results: 40 (none in MotoGP)
best MotoGP result: 6th
World Champion: Moto3 2013
best season in MotoGP: 12th 2015
European Champion: 125cc 2010
National Champion*: Spanish 125cc 2010

Danilo Petrucci, Italy
age 25 · first GP 2012
racing number: 9
GP entries: 69, total points: 183
GP podium results: 1 (1 in MotoGP)
best MotoGP result: 2nd
best season in MotoGP: 10th 2015
also: a race winner in European Stocksport 600

Jack Miller, Australia
age 21 · first GP 2012
racing number: 43
GP entries: 67, total points: 420
GP wins: 6 (250cc (Moto3))
GP podium results: 10 (none in MotoGP)
best MotoGP result: 11th
best season in MotoGP: 18th= 2015
best season in GPs: 2nd 2014 Moto3

Loris Baz, France
age 23 · first GP 2015
racing number: 76
GP entries: 17, total points: 28
best MotoGP result: 4th
best season in MotoGP: 17th 2015
European Champion: Superstock 600cc 2008 · Junior Superstock 1000cc 2011
also: race wins in World Superbike and in World Endurance

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* Winner of a national championship title at the most senior level

Possible substitute or wildcard riders:

Alex de Angelis, San Marino
age 32 · first GP 1999
racing number: 15
GP entries: 265, total points: 1791
GP wins: 4 (250cc, 600cc)
GP podium results: 40 (1 in MotoGP)
best MotoGP result: 2nd
best season in MotoGP: 8th 2009
best season in GPs: 2nd 2003 125cc

Anthony West, Australia
age 34 · first GP 1998
racing number: 95
GP entries: 239, total points: 995
GP wins: 2 (250cc, 600cc)
GP podium results: 8 (none in MotoGP)
best MotoGP result: 5th
best season in MotoGP: 15th 2007
best season in GPs: 6th 2000 250cc
National Champion*: Australian 125cc 1998
also: race wins in World Supersport

Toní Elías, Spain
age 32 · first GP 1999
racing number: 24
GP entries: 232, total points: 1760
GP wins: 17 (125cc, 250cc, 990cc, 600cc)
GP podium results: 43 (6 in MotoGP)
World Champion: Moto2 2010
best season in MotoGP: 7th 2009

Broc Parkes, Australia
age 34 · first GP 1999
racing number: 23
GP entries: 20, total points: 9
best MotoGP result: 11th
best season in MotoGP: 23rd 2014
also: a race winner in World Supersport

Hiroshi Aoyama, Japan
age 34 · first GP 2000
racing number: 7
GP entries: 176, total points: 1352
GP wins: 9 (250cc)
GP podium results: 27 (none in MotoGP)
best MotoGP result: 4th
World Champion: 250cc 2009
best season in MotoGP: 10th 2011
National Champion*: All-Japan 250cc 2003

Katsuyuki Nakasuga, Japan
age 34 · first GP 2002
racing number: 21
GP entries: 10, total points: 58
GP podium results: 1 (1 in MotoGP)
best MotoGP result: 2nd
best season in MotoGP: 18th 2011, 2012
National Champion*: All-Japan Superbike 2008, 2009
also: a race winner in World Endurance

Mike di Meglio, France
age 28 · first GP 2003
racing number: 63
GP entries: 205, total points: 684
GP wins: 5 (125cc)
GP podium results: 13 (none in MotoGP)
best MotoGP result: 12th
World Champion: 125cc 2008
best season in MotoGP: 23rd= 2014, 2015
National Champion*: French 50cc 2000

Michele Pirro, Italy
age 29 · first GP 2003
racing number: 51
GP entries: 84, total points: 218
GP wins: 1 (600cc)
GP podium results: 2
best MotoGP result: 5th
best season in MotoGP: 13th 2013
best season in GPs: 9th 2011 Moto2
European Champion: 125cc 2004
National Champion*: Italian Superstock 2007, 2008
also: a race winner in World Supersport and in FIM Superstock 1000 Cup

Takumi Takahashi, Japan
age 26 · first GP 2005
racing number: 72
GP entries: 5, total points: 4
best MotoGP result: 12th
best season in MotoGP: 26th 2015
also: a race winner in World Endurance

Kousuke Akiyoshi, Japan
age 41 · first GP 2006
racing number: 64
GP entries: 9, total points: 14
best MotoGP result: 12th
best season in MotoGP: 20th 2010, 2011
also: race wins in World Endurance

Claudio Corti, Italy
age 28 · first GP 2010
racing number: 71
GP entries: 69, total points: 131
GP podium results: 1 (none in MotoGP)
best MotoGP result: 12th
European Champion: Superstock 2005
best GP result: 2nd (Moto2)
best season in MotoGP: 19th 2013
best season in GPs: 14th 2012 Moto2

Damian Cudlin, Australia
age 33 · first GP 2010
racing number: 55
GP entries: 10, total points: 9
best MotoGP result: 21st
best GP result: 7th (Moto2)
best season in MotoGP: no points 2011, 2013, 2015
best season in GPs: 31st 2010 Moto2
also: a race winner in World Endurance

Michael Laverty, Northern Ireland
age 34 · first GP 2013
racing number: 70
GP entries: 37, total points: 12
best MotoGP result: 12th
best season in MotoGP: 23rd= 2014
National Champion*: British Supersport 2007
also: a race winner in European Superstock

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