Top 5 Italian MotoGP Riders of all time
Italy is almost synonymous with racing as the country managed to produce some of the finest racing talents across multiple disciplines.
The land of Ducati has even produced some of the finest motorcycle riders through the years, with each decade seeing at least one Italian rider secure a podium in the premier class.
Spanish dominance has taken center stage in the past decade or so, but in the years prior to that, the Italians dominated, especially in the 1960s, 1970s and the 2000s. With Valentino Rossi still hanging around, there is still a possibility of an Italian securing the World Championship before the turn of the decade.
Without further ado, let us look closer at top-5 Italian MotoGP riders of all time.
#5 Marco Lucchinelli
Taking the fifth spot on our list is Marco Lucchinelli, who is the second Italian to claim the World Championship in Grand Prix motorcycle racing's premier class.
The Italian rider's rise to fame started in the year 1976 when he finished the season in the fourth place with three podium finishes.
Four years later, riding for Suzuki, Lucchinelli secured a third-place finish in the 1980 500cc World Championship before claiming the top spot the following year.
However, Marco Lucchinelli's 1980 triumph was his last major success in Grand Prix motorcycle racing until his retirement in 1986.
#4 Franco Uncini
Like Marco Lucchielli, Franco Uncini won the premier class once during his career. His sole championship came in the year 1982, when, riding for Suzuki, the Italian managed to score 103 points with five race wins.
Uncini entered Grand Prix motorcycle racing in 1976 with the Yamaha team. The very next year, with Harley-Davidson, the Italian managed to finish second in the 250cc class.
Tasting sporadic success since then, Franco Uncini moved to the 500cc class with the Suzuki team, where he would win his sole championship and spend the rest of his Grand Prix motorcycle racing career.
Unfortunately, apart from the spectacular 1982 season, the Italian failed to record even a single win in other premier class seasons.
Nevertheless, for his immense contributions to the sport, Franco Uncini was inducted into the F.I.M MotoGP Hall of Fame in 2016.