Quote:
Originally Posted by uniqueMR
Yup, that's what I am referring to: his 8th champion in motoGP class which will bring his overall championship to 10 
motoGP: 7 (2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009)
moto2: 1 (1999)
moto3: 1 (1997). |
But the Grand Prix premiere class championship has been three very different classes (and possibly four, depending on how you view 2002 & 2003, when both 500cc two strokes & 990cc four strokes were allowed) during Rossi's career.
2001: 500cc. MotoGP name adopted the following year.
2002: 990cc (500 still allowed)
2003: 990cc (500 allowed, but none in the field)
2007: 800cc
2010: 1000cc
The world championship was renamed MotoGP in 2002, but it took longer to extend that naming convention to the support classes. Moto2 didn't exist until 2010, when the 600cc bikes replaced the 250 GP class, and the 125 GP two strokes were replaced in 2012 by Moto2.
Jorge Lorenzo and Casey Stoner both won championships in 125 and 250 two stroke, and 800 and 1000 four stroke classes. Nicky Hayden was the only MotoGP champion during Rossi's career who never raced in the two stroke classes. Marq Marquez is the first MotoGP champion who raced in a four stroke feeder class. He won the 125 GP championship in 2010 and Moto2 in 2012.
Even if Marquez wins three more premiere class championships, he won't do it on three distinctly different bike specs.
I'd love to see Rossi, Lorenzo, Stoner and Marquez go head to head on vintage 500 two strokes without electronic rider aids. They're beasts that seem incredibly primitive compared to today's bikes. A stock Yamaha R1 (or Suzuki GSXR, or any other current liter sportbike) could dominate the field of fifteen years ago.