When Did Yamaha Join MotoGP And How Many Championships Did It Win?

In the world of motorcycles, Yamaha has long been a name synonymous with speed. The Japanese manufacturer put its first motorcycle on the road in the 1950s, though that two-stroke, 125cc YA-1 was hardly a full-blown speed machine. Bikes bearing the Yamaha logo have evolved tremendously over the years, and with every new generation, the brand's engineers have made them sleeker, sexier, and, of course, faster. 

While the Yamaha brand continues to be popular among consumers, its more speed-focused bikes have become just as prominent on the various racing circuits of the world. If you're a follower of the prestigious MotoGP championship, you'll probably know Yamaha has been a staple of that scene for several decades by now. And it's safe to say that the brand will likely continue to be a presence for as long as MotoGP is around.

MotoGP's origins date back to the 1949 Isle of Man Grand Prix race, but the championship as we know it didn't come into being until 2002, when regulations were changed to allow newer bikes with four-stroke, 990cc engines on the track. Yamaha had been competing at the highest level of motorcycle racing since 1961, so it was no surprise that it joined the new championship in 2002. The Yamaha YZR-M1 was the brand's first official MotoGP bike, with Max Biaggi piloting one to a second-place finish for the inaugural season. But Yamaha would have to wait a couple of years before winning the first of its eight MotoGP titles.

During the first two years of the new MotoGP, Honda took home the top prize with the legendary Valentino Rossi in the saddle. In a true "if you can't beat them, join them" move, Yamaha hired Rossi in 2004. Rossi continued his MotoGP dominance, winning the MotoGP title on a Yamaha in 2004 and 2005. He would also net additional titles for Yamaha in 2008 and 2009.

Jorge Lorenzo would keep the title in Yamaha's hands with a win in 2010. He would repeat that feat astride a Yamaha in 2012 and 2015 as well. That 2015 win marked the beginning of a dry spell for Yamaha, which did not take home a top prize again until 2021, doing so with Fabio Quartararo at the helm. Quartararo's win would be the last of Yamaha's MotoGP championship wins to date, bringing their total to eight titles since the rebrand to MotoGP. 

Now, if you go back to include the decades before MotoGP, you can add quite a few more titles to Yamaha's list. The manufacturer took home its first title in 1974, and counting its most recent wins, has claimed a total of 14 titles over the years. That number places Yamaha at number three on the all-time list of world championship wins, with MV Agusta in second with 16 titles, and Honda leading the way with 25. Not surprisingly, all three continue to be ranked high among the world's major motorcycle makers.