Max Biaggi 125cc and 250cc World Champion

Lore & Background

Biaggi is a 13-time Premier Class race winner. He is a four-time 250 cc World Champion, two-time World Superbike Champion and three-time runner-up in the Premier Class. After winning four consecutive 250 cc titles in 1994, 1995, 1996 and 1997, Biaggi moved to the 500 cc class in 1998 and immediately finished runner-up to Mick Doohan with two victories with private Honda. This earned him a move to the Factory Yamaha Team in 1999. In his four seasons with Yamaha, Biaggi collected eight victories and finished runner-up to Valentino Rossi in 2001 and 2002. Then he moved to Camel Honda in 2003. But only managed third place in the championship in 2003 and 2004 beaten by not only Valentino Rossi but also Gresini Honda rider Sete Gibernau. A sole winless season followed in 2005 with Factory Honda Team and Biaggi was replaced by Dani Pedrosa for 2006 even though he got four podiums and a fifth place in the championship. This proved to be Biaggi's final season in MotoGP. In 2007, Biaggi switched to the Superbike World Championship finishing third overall as a rookie and earned his first Superbike World Championship in 2010 becoming only the second European from outside the United Kingdom after Raymond Roche to do so. After winning a second World Superbike Championship title in 2012 at the age of 41, becoming the oldest champion in the series’ history—Biaggi retired from racing.

Reader's Guide

Biaggi made his competitive debut at the age of eighteen in the 125cc class. In 1990, he won the Italian Sport Production Championship. Biaggi progressed to the 250cc class and entered international competition. In 1991, riding an Aprilia RS250, he won the European 250cc Championship. During the same season, he also participated in four races of the 250cc World Championship as a wildcard entrant, scoring points in the two races he completed. In 1992, Biaggi completed his first full season in the 250 cc Grand Prix class with Aprilia, finishing fifth overall and taking his maiden Grand Prix victory in the last race of the season held at Kyalami, South Africa. In 1993, he joined Honda and finished fourth in the championship standings, including a single race win at the European motorcycle Grand Prix held in Barcelona. Returning to Aprilia in 1994, Biaggi dominated the 250 cc class, winning three consecutive world championships in 1994, 1995, and 1996. For the 1997 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season, Biaggi made an unusual move by leaving the championship-winning Aprilia team to return to Honda, riding for Erv Kanemoto’s squad, and secured his fourth consecutive 250 cc world title.

Did You Know?

• Biaggi's 13 wins, 58 podiums and 23 pole positions in the premier class makes him one of the most accomplished riders to not win the MotoGP World Championship.
• He was named a FIM Road Racing Legend in 2020 and inducted into the MotoGP Hall of Fame in 2022.