How have the previous all-Champion MotoGP™ pairings fared?

Marc Marquez and Joan Mir have been formally launched as Repsol Honda’s 2023 riders throughout their Staff Presentation in Madrid on Wednesday. The 2020 MotoGP™ World Champion will step into the well-known squad and experience alongside the six-time premier class King. In consequence, the Spanish pair will make up solely the fifth all-Champion line-up in MotoGP™ historical past. Forward of the dynamic duo taking to the observe collectively on the opening spherical of 2023 in Portimao, we check out the 4 earlier all-star pairings throughout the MotoGP™ period.

In September 2008, American Nicky Hayden was confirmed to be leaving Honda after six seasons and was set to affix Australian Casey Stoner at Ducati. The 2006 and 2007 MotoGP™ World Champions turned the primary teammates to each maintain a premier class title because the MotoGP™ period started in 2002. All through their two-year partnership, Stoner clinched seven victories and an additional 10 podium finishes while Hayden struggled to adapt to the much-different Desmosedici after a decade with Honda. The late, nice Kentucky Child picked up two podiums in 2010, together with a third-place end behind race winner Stoner at Aragon – the one time the pair stood on the rostrum collectively within the purple of Ducati.

On the finish of the season, Casey Stoner left for the Repsol Honda leaving an area free within the manufacturing unit Ducati squad. In got here nine-time World Champion Valentino Rossi, teaming up with Hayden for the second time in his profession after they spent a yr collectively at Honda in 2003. Moreover, the pair had been reunited as teammates with Hayden now a World Champion himself because of his 2006 title. It was a troublesome two years for the Bologna manufacturing unit, although, with Rossi solely managing three podium finishes and Hayden simply the one of their 36 races collectively.

By far probably the most well-known all-Champion pairing in MotoGP™ historical past, their rivalry is ceaselessly etched in premier class folklore. Rossi returned to the manufacturing unit Yamaha squad with Lorenzo having simply clinched the 2012 MotoGP™ World Championship, his second premier class title, including an additional factor to their already frosty relationship from 2008 to 2010. The pair would combat it out from 2013 to 2016, ending 1-2 in seven separate races, with the primary flashpoint coming in 2015. The combat for the World Championship went right down to the ultimate spherical for the primary time in 9 years with the pair break up by solely seven factors. Lorenzo would go on to take the title, his third premier class crown, however, by the point he left for Ducati on the finish of 2016, it was honours even after pair had completed above eachother within the Championship standings on two events every.

It was billed because the Repsol Honda dream crew, nevertheless it rapidly became a nightmare. Jorge Lorenzo jumped from Ducati to Honda and, in consequence, linked up with Marc Marquez for the primary time forward of the 2019 MotoGP™ World Championship. The pair had been fierce rivals ever since Marquez entered the premier class in 2013, so lots was revamped how they’d be capable to coexist. Ultimately, Marquez would go on to have probably the most dominant season of his profession, successful the title with a record-breaking 420 factors, while Lorenzo had a yr to overlook with a string of crashes and subsequent accidents forcing him to retire on the finish of the season.