For the first time in seven decades, we’ve had three different riders winning the opening three races of a season in back-to-back years
We all know by now that MotoGP™ is as unpredictable and exciting as ever. But the stats now prove it. For the first time since 1952 and 1953, we’ve seen three different riders winning the opening three races of a season. Our super six: Enea Bastianini, Aleix Espargaro, Miguel Oliveira, Pecco Bagnaia, Marco Bezzecchi and Alex Rins.
The Beast clinched his debut premier class victory under the lights of Qatar to kick off 2022, before Espargaro added his name to the elite list of MotoGP™ race winners in Argentina and Oliveira mastered Mandalika to round out the opening three rounds of last year. But that has once again been matched in 2023 after the World Champion Bagnaia was victorious in Portimao, followed by Bezzecchi’s debut triumph in Argentina and Rins reclaiming his COTA crown last weekend.
UNSEEN: Rins opens barbershop as Puig calls to congratulate
The men who clinched victory 70 years ago were Jack Brett, Reg Armstrong and Umberto Masetti in 1952, before we saw Ray Amm, Geoff Duke and Alfredo Milani stand on the top step of the podium in 1953.
Unlike visits to the Algrave rollercoaster and horsepower rodeo, Amm was taking victory around the Isle of Man TT course and Geoff Duke was victorious at the Dutch TT; although the TT Circuit Assen looked a lot different then to what it does now. Gilera and Norton were the factories celebrating 70 years ago, whilst it's Ducati, Aprilia, KTM and Honda enjoying success now.
