For the second year in a row, Jorge Martin and Pecco Bagnaia gave us a fight for the title until the last round of the championship. But unlike 2023, it was the Spaniard who won, despite a number of victories far lower than that of Pecco Bagnaia.
Nicky Hayden – 2006
In the 2006 MotoGP season, Nicky Hayden became the first rider to win the championship – under its current name – with fewer victories than his opponent. He was then opposed to Valentino Rossi. Already multiple world champion, dominant for many years.
In Valencia, the American defeated his rival by just five points, after winning two Grands Prix out of the seventeen that made up the season. The Doctor, for his part, had won five times. His three retirements and the thirteenth place he achieved in Valencia therefore failed him.
Jorge Lorenzo – 2012
Compatriots, but above all rivals, Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa fought a fierce duel for the title in 2012. The No. 26 won seven races. While the No. 99 has climbed to the highest step of the podium six times. A small difference, which however did not play in favor of Dani Pedrosa, who lost that season.
Marc Marquez – 2013 and 2017
The following year, Jorge Lorenzo experienced the opposite scenario against the rookie, Marc Marquez. The one who was still only a young prodigy looking for success in the premier category, lost 6 to 8 when we look at the ranking of victories. His consistency throughout the season, however, allowed him to win the title in his first season in MotoGP.
Four years later, the Spaniard became a four-time MotoGP world champion in the same fashion. His opponent this time was called Andrea Dovizioso. The two rivals have each gleaned six victories during this campaign. The No. 93, who therefore did not beat the Italian in terms of victories, however ended the season with 37 points more than the latter aboard his Ducati.
Joan Mir – 2020
In 2020, during a season heavily impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, Joan Mir became MotoGP world champion with Suzuki. This is also the brand's last title, before its withdrawal at the end of 2022. That year, however, the Spaniard had fewer victories than two of his opponents.
Franco Morbidelli and Fabio Quartararo both won three times. Joan Mir, for her part, had only signed one first place during the fourteen rounds of this season. His nine top-5s, including seven podiums, nevertheless allowed him to find success.
Jorge Martin – 2024
In 2024, Jorge Martin has won three times on Sunday, compared to eleven for Pecco Bagnaia. The Pramac driver's almost flawless consistency, however, rewarded her. As a reminder, in addition to having won the championship with fewer victories than his opponent, Jorge Martin became the first independent world champion of the MotoGP era. The last to have achieved this feat in history was Valentino Rossi, at the end of the 2001 season.
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