Gallery: 13 riders who were world champions after leaving MotoGP

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John Kocinski

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Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

WorldSBK Champion 1997

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The Arkansas rider became 250cc champion in 1990, earning him a move up to 500cc a year later. After two promising seasons with Yamaha, his time at Cagiva led to his first retirement. He returned in 1996, in WorldSBK, where a year later he won the title.

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Loris Capirossi

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Photo de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

250cc Champion in 1998

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The Italian was the youngest world champion in history, winning the 125 title in 1990 at just 17 years old. He repeated the following season and made the jump to 250cc, where he stayed for three courses. In 1995 he moved up to 500cc, where in 1996 he won his first race, but took a step back and dropped to a quarter of a liter the following year. In 1998 he won the title after a controversial action with his teammate and rival Tetsuya Harada in the last Grand Prix. From 2000 to 2011 he raced in 500cc/MotoGP, achieving eight more victories.

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Neil Hodgson

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WorldSBK Champion 2003

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The Briton came to the 500cc category in 1995 when he was just 22 years old, but he only stayed for one year, opting to move to the Superbike World Championship. There he made a career and after passing through the British Championship, he won the title in 2003, before returning to MotoGP a year later.

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Troy Bayliss

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WorldSBK Champion 2006 and 2008

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Ducati opted for the Australian for his MotoGP debut in 2003 after becoming WorldSBK champion and runner-up the previous two years. After three irregular seasons, he decided to return to the series-derived motorcycle championship, where he was champion again in 2006. As a reward, those from Borgo Panigale chose him to replace the injured Sete Gibernau in Valencia, winning the race. In 2008 he won his third and last Superbike title.

Photo by: LAT Images

Andrew Pitt

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Photo by: Richard Sloop

2008 World Supersport Champion

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The rider from New South Wales had already been Supersport World Champion with Kawasaki in 2001. The Japanese gave him the opportunity in MotoGP in 2003, but the green bike’s lack of competitiveness prevented him from shining. After passing through WorldSBK in 2005 and 2006, in 2008 he returned to the category where he had won before and renewed his laurels.

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Max Biaggi

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WorldSBK Champion 2010 and 2012

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‘El Pirata’ won four consecutive 250cc titles between 1994 and 1997. However, in 500cc/MotoGP he fell short on three occasions. After his abrupt exit from the championship in 2005, he joined WorldSBK in 2007. Again with Aprilia, in 2010 and 2012 he added two more crowns to his record.

Photo by: Dave Dyer

Tony Elias

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Photo by: Fabrice Crosnier

Moto2 Champion 2010

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Elías had podium finishes and had even won a MotoGP race, but when the creation of Moto2 was announced, the man from Manresa saw the opportunity to finally win a championship. The #24 dominated the 2010 season from the start, earning it a move back into the heavy bike category. Although not a world championship, the Spaniard also won the MotoAmerica title in 2017.

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Charles Czech

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WorldSBK Champion 2011

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After a lifetime in 500cc/MotoGP, the rider from Sant Fruitós de Bages received the opportunity to go to WorldSBK in 2008 with aspirations of everything. After two difficult years with Honda, in 2010 he signed for Ducati, with whom he won his only title a year later.

Photo by: Dave Dyer

Sylvain Guintoli

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WorldSBK Champion 2014

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The Frenchman was a regular rider for Yamaha and Ducati in MotoGP in 2007 and 2008, after which he moved on to the Superbike World Championship. In 2014, with Aprilia, he took the title in the last race by just six points from Tom Sykes.

Photo by: Dave Dyer

Niccolo Canepa

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Photo de: Pramac Racing

2017 FIM EWC Champion

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After winning the Superstock 1000 title in 2007, in 2009 Pramac Ducati opted for the Italian. However, from then on he wandered through different brands in WorldSBK. In 2016 he joined the GMT94 World Endurance team, where he became champion a year later.

Photo by: Yamaha Motor Racing

Andrea Locatelli

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Photo de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

WorldSSP Champion in 2020

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The Italian managed to do podiums in Moto3 and made the leap to Moto2, but after three unproductive seasons he went to the Supersport World Championship and won the title the first time.

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Xavier Simeon