Five times brothers have raced together in MotoGP
MotoGP riders have always shown just how powerful family support can be throughout their racing career. And how special is it to share the spotlight, the pressure and the moments with someone who has always been by your side?
Passions are what drive us, but family is what makes us who we are. Here are five of MotoGP’s best sibling line-ups…
Nobuatsu, Takuma and Haruchika Aoki
The Aoki brothers fell in love with motorbikes and racing around the same time when, in 1981, their father bought a pocket bike and gifted it to the oldest brother, Nobuatsu.
The two younger brothers began racing it as soon as they saw their oldest brother enjoying the speed. They soon began racing in national categories and eventually stepped up to the highest kind of motorcycle racing, all crossing paths at different times.
Nobuatsu began his racing career in 1993 when he started racing for Honda in the 250cc competition. After five years, he joined Rheos Elf-Honda in the 500cc and began his premier class journey. During the 1997 season, he obtained his best championship placement, ending the season in third position. He put on a solid performance, obtaining a total of four podiums.
With the dawn of the new MotoGP era, Nobuatsu Aoki joined the Proton-Team KR, where he rode until his retirement in 2004.
Unlike his brother, Takuma Aoki made his motor racing debut at the National Superbike Championship in 1994. He’s recognised as one of Japan’s finest Superbike racers, particularly after winning the All Japanese Superbike Championship in 1995 and 1996.
His 500cc experience began in 1995 as a Honda wildcard, when he immediately finished third in the Japanese Grand Prix. In 1997, he joined the Repsol Honda team, demonstrating outstanding skills. That year, he got three podiums, multiple top-10 finishes and ended his season in 5th place, only 45 points off his older brother.
He was set to become a top rider, but unfortunately, his premier class career was cut short. In 1998, the Japanese suffered an accident during a private training session in Japan, which left him paralysed, forcing him to retire from racing. Although he was physically forced to abstain from premier-class motorcycle racing, he did not completely leave motorsport.
In 1999, he partnered with Honda to help them develop cars with hand controls for accelerating and braking, so as to be able to return to the racing scene. In the following years, he was able to ride on circuits again, ride a motorcycle and participate in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, demonstrating how far disability-driver projects have come along.
The youngest Haruchika is mainly remembered for his outstanding performance in the 125cc. In 1993, he joined Moto Bum Honda, rapidly demonstrating his consistency and devotion, obtaining his first-ever podium at the 1994 European Grand Prix.
The following year, he continued his partnership with Honda, joining the Blumex Rheos Racing team. Here he immediately shone as a real star, winning the 125cc Championship in both 1995 and 1996.
He then aimed for the premier class, which he ultimately reached in 1999 with TSR-Honda.
The so-called “fireball brothers” shared some unforgettable memories. Although the premier class never saw the trio together, there were two particular moments where the brothers paired up.
Firstly, Nobuatsu and Takuma shared the stage during the 1997 World Championship. They ended their season in third and fifth position, respectively, with only 45 points separating the two.
The brothers’ best moment came at that year’s Imola Grand Prix. They started out in 4th and 7th position, both putting on an outstanding race. Nobuatsu immediately moved into the lead but was eventually passed by Doohan. As for Takuma, he started from the third row and then worked his way up to the podium.
The final results saw Nobuatsu in second position and Takuma third, marking the first time two brothers shared a podium in the modern era premier class of motorcycle racing.
Two Aoki brothers were seen running alongside each other again in 1999, when Nobuatsu and Haruchika shared a season.
Although they never raced all three together, the brothers shared a one-of-a-kind moment at the 1995 Japanese Grand Prix, when they made history by becoming the first family to obtain a podium at the same race, on the same day across three different categories. In fact, Haruchika won the 125cc race, Nobuatsu came second in the 250cc race, and Takuma scored third position in the 500cc.
Aleix and Pol Espargaró
The Espargaró brothers are the brothers with the longest streak of seasons shared to this day.
Their passion for motorcycle racing began at a very young age. Aleix was the first to develop a big interest in motorsports, as he was inspired by his father's love for motorcycles. He eventually began racing at three years old, and joined his first race at four.
As for Pol, he wasn’t initially as passionate as Alex, and only eventually became involved as a consequence of seeing his brother compete in thrilling competitions. Around the age of six, Pol started competing in enduro races, finally following in his brother's footsteps.
Soon after, they began following the same path and ended up racing against each other on several occasions: in the Spanish Championship, Moto2 and finally MotoGP.
Aleix began his world championship racing career in 2005 when he joined Honda in the 125cc championship. His partnership with Honda ended in 2007 when he joined Aprilia in the 250cc.
He demonstrated incredible consistency all throughout his two full seasons in 250cc, and therefore he managed to join MotoGP alongside Ducati for the 2010 season. Most of his premier-class years were spent alongside Aprilia, which he joined in 2017 up until his retirement in 2024. During his career, he obtained 10 podiums and three wins. His best season was 2022, when he gained his first win in MotoGP at the Argentinian Grand Prix and finished in fourth position with 212 points.
The youngest brother, Pol, began his career in 2007 when he joined Aprilia in the 125cc competition. He obtained 20 podiums and 5 wins, with his best year being 2010, when he finished in third position.
He then joined Moto2 in 2011, where he truly showed his outstanding level. His two seasons in Kalex saw him be the championship runner-up in 2012 and the championship winner in 2013, finally crowning his dream.
The following year he joined MotoGP Yamaha, but it was his move to KTM that marked a breakthrough. He claimed his first-ever MotoGP podium at the 2018 Valencian Grand Prix. He then reached his career peak in 2020 with a fifth-place finish in the world championship.
As of 2023, following an injury, Pol has stepped down from a full-time MotoGP seat, although still competing as a substitute rider. The youngest Espargaró believes he still has what it takes to compete full-time, and is actively targeting a full-time return to premier class racing.
The Espargaró brothers hold the record for the most consecutive MotoGP seasons shared by a pair of brothers, with a total of 10 seasons between 2014 and 2023.
Although the two never shared a podium, they shared a brief but historic moment at Silverstone in 2021.
The starting grid saw Pol starting in first and Aleix in sixth, but it was during the first two laps that the brothers shared an iconic moment. Aleix managed to gain four positions, therefore moving up to second position, whilst Pol kept the top spot.
For the first time, the MotoGP standings saw the two Espargaró brothers occupy the top two positions. Although the iconic 1-2 lasted just two full laps, it became the most memorable moment shared by the brothers.
Pol and Aleix finished fifth and third, respectively, which meant Aleix had just given Aprilia their first-ever MotoGP podium.
Marc and Álex Márquez
Similarly to Pol and Aleix’s story, the Marquez brothers also fell in love with racing at two different moments in their lives. Their interest in motorbikes began with their parents, as both were members of the Moto Club Segre and spent weekends at multiple circuits near their hometown.
Marc initially started racing at four years old, when he received a small Yamaha for Christmas; he then entered his first children’s enduro the following year. By then, Álex wasn’t as interested in racing as his older brother, but he had a strong curiosity about the mechanical side.
Álex first entered the racing world at eight years old, when he began competing in the Catalan championships. It wasn’t long before he and his brother began achieving some memorable successes.
Marc Márquez is definitely one of the most influential riders to ever race in MotoGP, and to this day is still in the process of enriching his legacy.
Marc started professional racing in 2008 when he joined KTM in the 125cc class. His best season turned out to be 2010 when he joined Derbi and scored 10 wins. That season he became World Champion, with 310 points. In 2011 he joined Moto2 with Suter. His only two seasons in Moto2 were, to say the least, incredible. In his first season, he took second place in the championship with 7 wins. Immediately after, in 2012, he won the Championship with 9 wins.
As a true champion, Marc never stopped impressing everyone with his outstanding skills. In 2013, he joined Honda in his first MotoGP season and immediately took the crown of the World Championship. The following year, he repeated himself, becoming the youngest ever back-to-back premier class World Champion. In 2015, he finished third in the overall standings, but immediately bounced back and went on to win four championships back-to-back from 2015 to 2019.
During the 2020 Spanish Grand Prix, Marc suffered a horrific accident which left him heavily injured and penalised his career for the following years. He underwent a total of three operations, after which he was able to slowly get back to action. He finally made a comeback at the 2021 Portuguese Grand Prix, and soon after began winning again.
Although he was physically able to get back, he struggled with his new Honda machinery, and therefore decided to part ways at the end of 2023. He joined Ducati, first in Gresini alongside his brother Álex, and then in the factory team at the start of 2025. In 2025, he returned to the top step of the championship, winning the season with 545 points.
Álex began his motor racing career in 2012 when he joined Suter Honda in Moto3, clinching the title after only two years. From 2015 until 2019, he raced for Kalex in Moto2, winning the title in 2019.
He began his premier-class racing years with Honda from 2020 to 2022. In his first three seasons, he demonstrated consistency and obtained his first podium in his first season at the French Grand Prix. When he joined Ducati in 2023, his potential was further enhanced.
Álex obtained his first win in 2025 at his home race, the Spanish Grand Prix. His 2025 season is his best season so far, as he ended the season in second position, just behind his older brother Marc Márquez. The 2026 season shows Álex as a title contender, but only time will tell if the two brothers are set to put on a show like the 2025 season.
As one can assume, the Spanish pair shared many memorable moments as they are still racing together to this day. The brothers became teammates at the start of 2024; that same year they shared a podium at the German Grand Prix, both riding in Ducati Gresini.
It marked the first time in 27 years that two brothers had shared a premier-class podium, the last being the Aoki brothers in Imola 1997. This particular race was very emotional since Marc had begun the weekend with multiple crashes but promptly recovered and scored a second position; as for Álex, this result marked his first appearance on a MotoGP podium.
But definitely the most meaningful moment for the two has to be the 2025 season, when the two brothers shared the main stage of MotoGP. They went from being the most successful brother pair to compete in the same era to becoming the first-ever pair of brothers to be champion and runner-up.
Valentino Rossi and Luca Marini
Although only half-brothers and an 18-year age gap, Valentino Rossi and Luca Marini share the same love for motorsports. Valentino was obviously the first to get close with racing, thanks to his father Graziano’s passion as an ex Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. He was always very interested in the racing world and soon began his own path.
Unlike most motorcycle racers, Valentino started karting. In 1990, Rossi won the regional kart championship, and only three years later, the Italian began racing motorbikes. In 1996, he debuted in the 125cc championship, which he won the following year.
In 1997 he moved up to the 250cc championship. He completed two full seasons before clinching the title in 1999, with 309 points. He joined the 500cc championship in 2000, and the rest is history.
He went on to have one of the most successful careers ever, becoming a fan favourite and a legend in the sport. Between 500cc and MotoGP, he won a total of 89 races and seven world titles. He is therefore widely remembered as the 2000’s best rider. When he retired in 2021, his involvement in motorsports didn’t stop. He took part first in the GT World Challenge Europe Championship and then in the World Endurance Championship, marking the start of a new era in Valentino’s old four-wheeled passion.
Other than being directly involved in motor racing, Valentino founded a project meant for young Italian drivers: the VR46 Academy. The team was founded in 2014 and, to this day, has collected 32 race wins (across all categories), one riders' championship with Bagnaia in the 2018 Moto2 season and one team championship in Moto2 in 2020.
Valentino was always a big reference for Luca, his passion for motor racing was a direct consequence of their brotherhood bond. When Luca was just a kid, he witnessed the magic of Valentino’s first 500cc World Championship and immediately took up pocket bike racing.
His professional career began in 2015 when he entered the Moto2 class as a wildcard, he was then signed the following year. After two full seasons, he signed with his brother's team, Sky Racing Team VR46, in 2018, that’s the moment his career took off.
He obtained a total of six wins and became the 2020 runner-up for the Moto2 championship.
In 2021, Luca moved up to the premier class with VR46, sharing the grid with Valentino in his last MotoGP season.
That year was a very emotional one for the two. On one side it marked the end of a 26-year career, and on the other the beginning of a new one. The peak came at the Valencian Grand Prix, the last round of the season and, therefore, the last race for Valentino Rossi. The starting grid saw Valentino in 10th and Luca in 18th position, but as the race ended, the older stayed in the same position, whilst luca gained one position.
At the end of the race, a long series of emotional celebrations took place, which saw Luca riding alongside Valentino. The two brothers shared celebrations and tears, as a big part of MotoGP’s history stepped down from his bike.
Although Marini moved to Honda from the 2024 season onwards, Valentino is still very involved in his career, giving him precious technical advice every weekend.
Brad and Darryn Binder
Brad and Darryn Binder were always very close with racing growing up, as their father was heavily involved in the South African racing scene.
As the oldest, Brad was the first to get involved in racing. He began with karts but promptly moved to two-wheels soon after. His career took a classic route: he established himself strongly in the South African racing world and slowly joined the higher categories. He entered Moto3 in 2012 with Aprilia, but when he joined KTM in 2015, he became World Champion the following year.
His partnership with KTM lived on as he joined Moto2 in 2017. His three Moto2 seasons were all very valuable as he had multiple wins and podiums, and overall ended the 2019 season in a great second position, three points off of Álex Márquez. Brad’s career is definitely identified with his partnership with KTM, one of the longest in MotoGP’s history. When he made his premier-class debut in 2020, he demonstrated solid skills and consistency.
As of today, Brad Binder has 2 wins and 11 podiums, with his best season being the 2023 one, when he finished in 4th position.
Darryn’s career path was less typical compared to his brother’s. He followed in Brad’s footsteps and began racing in national championships. He entered Moto3 in 2015, where he put on strong fights and demonstrated great skills.
Unfortunately, he never won the Moto3 title, but he obtained the chance to skip Moto2 and race immediately in MotoGP for Yamaha.
In the 2022 season, the two brothers shared the premier class grid, giving the fans some memorable brotherhood moments. After his MotoGP debut, Darryn raced in Moto2 from 2023 until 2025. The younger brother then switched to MotoAmerica Supersport in 2026.
The brothers share an unmatched bond, they both regard each other as best friends off track but rivals on track.
One of their best moments came at the 2022 Indonesian Grand Prix, where the brothers shared an on-track battle. Brad started out in fourth position, whilst Darryn started out in 23rd.
The race saw the youngest brother fight his way up the grid up to the eighth position, where he encountered his oldest brother. The two battled for the position, which was ultimately conquered by Brad, whilst Darryn obtained an outstanding 10th.
Many unforgettable moments have been shared by these brother pairs over the years. We look forward to witnessing even more family bonds on the MotoGP track in the years to come.
Edited by Dhara Dave
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