List of 500cc/MotoGP polesitters

Marc Márquez, who holds the record with 62 MotoGP pole positions during his career

Grand Prix motorcycle racing is the premier championship of motorcycle road racing, which has been divided into three classes: MotoGP, Moto2, and Moto3. Classes that have been discontinued include 500cc (although 500cc statistics are combined with MotoGP officially), 350cc, 250cc, 125cc, 80cc, 50cc and Sidecar. The Grand Prix Road-Racing World Championship was established in 1949 by the sport's governing body, the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM), and is the oldest motorsport World Championship.^[1]

This list only lists pole positions since 1974, when pole positions were first officially recorded.^[2] Marc Márquez holds the record for the most pole positions in the premier class with 62. Mick Doohan is second with 58 poles, and Valentino Rossi is third with 55 poles.^[3]

By rider[]

As of the 2021 Valencian Grand Prix

Key

*	MotoGP/500cc World Champion
	Grand Prix World Champion
Bold	Rider has competed in the 2021 season

Grand Prix motorcycle racing polesitters

Rank	Country	Rider	Poles	Seasons active in MotoGP/500cc	First pole	Last pole
1	ESP	Marc Márquez*	62	2013–	2013 MotoGP Grand Prix of the Americas	2019 MotoGP Japanese Grand Prix
2	AUS	Mick Doohan*	58	1989–1999	1990 500cc Spanish Grand Prix	1998 500cc Argentine Grand Prix
3	ITA	Valentino Rossi*	55	2000–	2001 500cc South African Grand Prix	2018 MotoGP Italian Grand Prix
4	ESP	Jorge Lorenzo*	43	2008–2019	2008 MotoGP Qatar Grand Prix	2018 MotoGP Aragon Grand Prix
5	AUS	Casey Stoner*	39	2006–2012	2006 MotoGP Qatar Grand Prix	2012 MotoGP Australian Grand Prix
6	ESP	Dani Pedrosa	31	2006–2018 2021–	2006 MotoGP Chinese Grand Prix	2017 MotoGP Malaysian Grand Prix
7	USA	Kevin Schwantz*	29	1986–1995	1989 500cc Australian Grand Prix	1994 500cc Spanish Grand Prix
8	USA	Freddie Spencer*	27	1980–1987 1989 1993	1982 500cc Spanish Grand Prix	1986 500cc Spanish Grand Prix
9	ITA	Max Biaggi	23	1998–2005	1998 500cc Japanese Grand Prix	2004 MotoGP German Grand Prix
10=	UK	Barry Sheene*	19	1974–1984	1975 500cc Dutch TT	1982 500cc Yugoslavian Grand Prix
10=	AUS	Wayne Gardner*	19	1983–1992	1986 500cc British motorcycle Grand Prix	1990 500cc British motorcycle Grand Prix
12=	USA	Kenny Roberts*	18	1978–1983	1978 500cc Spanish Grand Prix	1983 500cc San Marino Grand Prix
12=	USA	Eddie Lawson*	18	1983–1992	1984 500cc Spanish Grand Prix	1992 500cc British Grand Prix
14=	USA	Wayne Rainey*	15	1988–1993	1988 500cc United States Grand Prix	1993 500cc Czech Republic Grand Prix
14=	FRA	Fabio Quartararo*	15	2019–	2019 MotoGP Spanish Grand Prix	2021 MotoGP Catalan Grand Prix
16=	ESP	Sete Gibernau	13	1997–2006 2009	2000 500cc South African Grand Prix	2006 MotoGP Italian Grand Prix
16=	ITA	Loris Capirossi	13	1995–1996 2000–2011	2000 500cc Dutch TT	2006 MotoGP Japanese Grand Prix
16=	ESP	Maverick Viñales	13	2015–	2017 MotoGP Qatar Grand Prix	2021 MotoGP Dutch TT
19	VEN	Johnny Cecotto	12	1976–1980	1977 500cc Venezuelan Grand Prix	1979 500cc Belgian Grand Prix
20	USA	Kenny Roberts Jr.*	10	1996–2007	1999 500cc Japanese Grand Prix	2004 MotoGP Rio de Janeiro Grand Prix
21=	ITA	Marco Lucchinelli*	9	1976–1986	1980 500cc Nations Grand Prix	1981 500cc Finnish Grand Prix
21=	USA	John Kocinski	9	1989 1991–1994 1998–1999	1991 500cc Vitesse du Mans Grand Prix	1999 500cc Malaysian Grand Prix
21=	ESP	Àlex Crivillé*	9	1992–2001	1995 500cc Dutch TT	1999 500cc Imola Grand Prix
24	ITA	Luca Cadalora	8	1989 1993–2000	1993 500cc Italian Grand Prix	1995 500cc European Grand Prix
25=	FIN	Teuvo Länsivuori	7	1974–1978		1976 500cc Czechoslovak Grand Prix
25=	JPN	Tadayuki Okada	7	1996–2000 2008	1996 500cc Malaysian Grand Prix	1999 500cc South African Grand Prix
25=	ITA	Andrea Dovizioso	7	2008–2020	2010 MotoGP Japanese Grand Prix	2018 MotoGP Japanese Grand Prix
28=	ITA	Giacomo Agostini*	6	1965–1977		1976 500cc Finnish Grand Prix
28=	FRA	Christian Sarron	6	1979 1981 1985–1990	1987 500cc French Grand Prix	1988 500cc French Grand Prix
28=	FRA	Johann Zarco	6	2017–	2017 MotoGP Dutch TT	2021 MotoGP German Grand Prix
28=	ITA	Francesco Bagnaia	6	2019–	2021 MotoGP Qatar Grand Prix	2021 MotoGP Algarve Grand Prix
32=	USA	Randy Mamola	5	1979–1990 1992	1980 500cc Belgian Grand Prix	1987 500cc Portuguese Grand Prix
32=	BRA	Alex Barros	5	1990–2005 2007	2000 500cc Italian Grand Prix	2005 MotoGP Portuguese Grand Prix
32=	USA	Nicky Hayden*	5	2003–2016	2005 MotoGP United States Grand Prix	2007 MotoGP Portuguese Grand Prix
35=	UK	Phil Read*	4	1961–1964 1971 1973–1976
35=	NZL	Graeme Crosby	4	1980–1982	1981 500cc Austrian Grand Prix	1982 500cc Austrian Grand Prix
35=	UK	Cal Crutchlow	4	2011–	2013 MotoGP Dutch TT	2018 MotoGP Spanish Grand Prix
35=	ESP	Jorge Martín	4	2021–	2021 MotoGP Doha Grand Prix	2021 MotoGP Valencian Grand Prix
39=	ESP	Carlos Checa	3	1995–2007 2010	1998 500cc Spanish Grand Prix	2004 MotoGP Qatar Grand Prix
39=	JPN	Makoto Tamada	3	2003–2007	2004 MotoGP Portuguese Grand Prix	2004 MotoGP Valencian Grand Prix
39=	AUS	Chris Vermeulen	3	2005–2009 2012	2006 MotoGP Turkish Grand Prix	2007 MotoGP Dutch TT
39=	USA	Colin Edwards	3	2003–2014	2007 MotoGP French Grand Prix	2008 MotoGP Chinese Grand Prix
39=	ESP	Pol Espargaró	3	2014–	2020 MotoGP Styrian Grand Prix	2021 MotoGP British Grand Prix
44=	NED	Jack Middelburg	2	1977–1983	1980 500cc Dutch TT	1982 500cc Belgian Grand Prix
44=	FRA	Raymond Roche	2	1977–1983	1984 500cc British Grand Prix	1984 500cc San Marino Grand Prix
44=	JPN	Tadahiko Taira	2	1984–1985 1987–1991	1988 500cc Japanese Grand Prix	1989 500cc Japanese Grand Prix
44=	USA	Doug Chandler	2	1991–1994	1992 500cc Hungarian Grand Prix	1992 500cc French Grand Prix
44=	FRA	Jean-Michel Bayle	2	1996–1999 2002	1996 500cc Czech Republic Grand Prix	1998 500cc Imola Grand Prix
44=	NED	Jurgen van den Goorbergh	2	1997–2002 2005	1999 500cc Catalan Grand Prix	1999 500cc Czech Republic Grand Prix
44=	UK	Jeremy McWilliams	2	1993–1996 2000 2002–2005 2007	2000 500cc Australian motorcycle Grand Prix	2002 MotoGP Australian motorcycle Grand Prix
44=	ITA	Marco Simoncelli	2	2010–2011	2011 MotoGP Catalan Grand Prix	2011 MotoGP Dutch TT
44=	ESP	Aleix Espargaró	2	2009–2010 2012–	2014 MotoGP Dutch TT	2015 MotoGP Catalan Grand Prix
44=	ITA	Andrea Iannone	2	2013–2019	2015 MotoGP Italian Grand Prix	2016 MotoGP Austrian Grand Prix
44=	ITA	Franco Morbidelli	2	2018–	2020 MotoGP Catalan Grand Prix	2020 MotoGP Valencian Grand Prix
55=	AUS	Jack Findlay	1	1958–1978
55=	UK	Tony Rutter	1	1974–1975	1975 500cc Isle of Man TT	1975 500cc Isle of Man TT
55=	ITA	Franco Bonera	1	1973–1975 1977–1978 1980	1975 500cc Finnish Grand Prix	1975 500cc Finnish Grand Prix
55=	UK	Peter Williams	1	1966–1973 1976	1976 500cc Isle of Man TT	1976 500cc Isle of Man TT
55=	ITA	Virginio Ferrari	1	1976–1979 1982–1985	1976 500cc German Grand Prix	1976 500cc German Grand Prix
55=	USA	Steve Baker	1	1977–1978	1977 500cc French Grand Prix	1977 500cc French Grand Prix
55=	SUI	Philippe Coulon	1	1974 1976–1983	1977 500cc Belgian Grand Prix	1977 500cc Belgian Grand Prix
55=	FRA	Michel Rougerie	1	1973–1980	1978 500cc British Grand Prix	1978 500cc British Grand Prix
55=	USA	Mike Baldwin	1	1979 1981 1985–1988	1979 500cc Spanish Grand Prix	1979 500cc Spanish Grand Prix
55=	NED	Boet van Dulmen	1	1975–1986	1979 500cc Finnish Grand Prix	1979 500cc Finnish Grand Prix
55=	NED	Graziano Rossi	1	1977–1982	1980 500cc Finnish Grand Prix	1980 500cc Finnish Grand Prix
55=	FRA		1	1982–1983	1982 500cc French Grand Prix	1982 500cc French Grand Prix
55=	ITA	Franco Uncini*	1	1979–1985	1982 500cc Nations Grand Prix	1982 500cc Nations Grand Prix
55=	UK	Ron Haslam	1	1977–1980 1982–1991 1993 2000	1984 500cc Swedish Grand Prix	1984 500cc Swedish Grand Prix
55=	UK	Niall Mackenzie	1	1986–1994	1987 500cc Japanese Grand Prix	1987 500cc Japanese Grand Prix
55=	AUS	Kevin Magee	1	1987–1991 1993	1988 500cc Spanish Grand Prix	1988 500cc Spanish Grand Prix
55=	JPN	Shinichi Ito	1	1988–1996 1999 2002 2005 2007 2011	1993 500cc German Grand Prix	1993 500cc German Grand Prix
55=	NZL	Simon Crafar	1	1993 1998–1999	1998 500cc British Grand Prix	1998 500cc British Grand Prix
55=	JPN	Tetsuya Harada	1	1999–2000 2002	1999 500cc Italian Grand Prix	1999 500cc Italian Grand Prix
55=	FRA	Régis Laconi	1	1997–2000 2002	1999 500cc Valencian motorcycle Grand Prix	1999 500cc Valencian motorcycle Grand Prix
55=	AUS	Garry McCoy	1	1998–2004 2006	2000 500cc Portuguese Grand Prix	2000 500cc Portuguese Grand Prix
55=	JPN	Tohru Ukawa	1	2001–2005	2001 500cc Rio de Janeiro Grand Prix	2001 500cc Rio de Janeiro Grand Prix
55=	FRA	Olivier Jacque	1	2001–2005 2007	2002 MotoGP German Grand Prix	2002 MotoGP German Grand Prix
55=	JPN	Daijiro Kato	1	2002–2003	2002 MotoGP Pacific Grand Prix	2002 MotoGP Pacific Grand Prix
55=	UK	John Hopkins	1	2002–2008 2011	2006 MotoGP Dutch TT	2006 MotoGP Dutch TT
55=	USA	Ben Spies	1	2008–2013	2010 MotoGP Indianapolis Grand Prix	2010 MotoGP Indianapolis Grand Prix
55=	ESP	Álvaro Bautista	1	2010–2018	2012 MotoGP British motorcycle Grand Prix	2012 MotoGP British motorcycle Grand Prix
55=	GER	Stefan Bradl	1	2012–2016 2018–	2013 MotoGP United States Grand Prix	2013 MotoGP United States Grand Prix
55=	AUS	Jack Miller	1	2015–	2018 MotoGP Argentine Grand Prix	2018 MotoGP Argentine Grand Prix
55=	JPN	Takaaki Nakagami	1	2018–	2020 MotoGP Teruel Grand Prix	2020 MotoGP Teruel Grand Prix
55=	PRT	Miguel Oliveira	1	2019–	2020 MotoGP Portuguese Grand Prix	2020 MotoGP Portuguese Grand Prix

By nationality[]

As of the 2021 Valencian Grand Prix

Rank	Country	Poles	Rider(s)
1	Spain	184	11
2	United States	144	14
3	Italy	136	14
4	Australia	123	8
5	France	35	9
6	United Kingdom	34	10
7	Japan	17	8
8	Venezuela	12	1
9	Finland	7	1
10	Netherlands	6	4
11=	New Zealand	5	2
11=	Brazil	5	1
13	Ireland	2	1
14=	Switzerland	1	1
14=	Germany	1	1
14=	Portugal	1	1

References[]