100th, 200th, 300th and so on – which riders stood on the top step at every major GP milestone? Find out here
The sensational 1000th Grand Prix will be celebrated at this weekend’s SHARK Grand Prix de France, but where did the other big milestone GPs take place between 1949 to 2023 – and who won at them? We decided to take a little look:
100 – 1962 Spanish GP (Montjuïc)
The 100th GP took place in Barcelona with the 50cc, 125cc and 250cc machines making up the grids. Hans Georg Anscheidt, now a MotoGP™ Legend, won the inaugural 50cc race, while Japan’s first GP winner, Kunimitsu Takahashi, won the 125cc race. Jim Redman, another MotoGP™ Legend, was the victor in the 250cc class.
200 – 1970 Belgian GP (Spa-Francorchamps)
The famous Spa-Francorchamps hosted the 200th GP at a time when Giacomo Agostini was in his pomp. Unsurprisingly, the legendary Italian won the 500cc race in Belgium on the way to claiming his fifth successive premier class crown. Rodney Gould and Angel Nieto won the 250cc and 125cc races, with Nieto’s win acting as his first in the class. The Spanish Legend finished second to Aalt Toersen in the 50cc GP.
300 – 1978 GP of Sweden (Karlskoga)
300 GPs were notched up in Sweden as two-time World Champion Pierpaolo Bianchi claimed victory in the 125cc race, while Gregg Hansford picked up a double win in the 250cc and 350cc outings. Barry Sheene won the 500cc event, but the British icon would be beaten to the 1978 title by ‘King’ Kenny Roberts.
400 – 1986 French GP (Le Castellet)
France’s Le Castellet marked 400 GPs as Italy’s Luca Cadalora beat Fausto Gresini to top honours in the 125cc class. Venezuela’s Carlos Lavado won the 250cc race on his way to bagging a second Championship, as Eddie Lawson stood on the top step in the 500cc French GP to help him towards a second title too.
500 – 1993 Europe GP (Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya)
The halfway point. 500 GPs came and went in Barcelona with Noboru Ueda picking up the win in the 125cc class. Max Biaggi was the 250cc winner on his way to finishing P4 in the 1993 Championship, as Wayne Rainey bagged his penultimate 500cc career victory.
600 – 2000 Catalan GP (Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya)
100 GPs later and it was again Barcelona’s turn to host the latest milestone. Simone Sanna and Olivier Jacque shone in the 125cc and 250cc races, while it was eventual World Champion Kenny Roberts Jr who took his third win of the year in the premier class.
700 – 2006 German GP (Sachsenring)
Germany was the scene for the 700th GP as Mattia Pasini beat Alvaro Bautista to the 125cc win. Yuki Takahashi edged out Alex De Angelis for the intermediate class honours as Valentino Rossi led a top four split by less than a second to claim a famous win at the Sachsenring.
800 – 2012 French GP (Le Mans)
A Grand Prix weekend remembered for Louis Rossi claiming a dream home GP victory in the Moto3™ race. Tom Lüthi and Jorge Lorenzo were the Moto2™ and MotoGP™ winners, with the latter going on to win his second premier class title.
900 – 2017 Aragon GP (MotorLand Aragon)
Three very familiar names shared the Moto3™, Moto2™ and MotoGP™ 25-point hauls at the 900th GP: Joan Mir, Franco Morbidelli and Marc Marquez. All three would go on to win the titles in their respective classes.
Who will emerge victorious at the 1000th GP this weekend? It won’t be long until we find out.
