Grand Prix Motorcycle Racing or famously called MotoGP is the highest class of motorcycle road racing championship sanctioned by the FIM (Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme). The MotoGP championship also boasts of being the oldest racing championship in the world which stared in 1949.
Over the years more than 100 riders have lost their lives in fatal crashes during the MotoGP races.
Spanish Youngster, Luis Salom was the most recent rider to meet with an fatal accident during the Catalan Grand Prix practice session.
The recent fatal crash in MotoGP class of Marco Simoncelli when the Italian made contact with Colin Edwards and Valentino Rossi during the 2011 Malaysian Grand Prix.
MotoGP Rider (Country) | Date of accident | Race | Bike | Event |
Ben Drinkwater (UK) | June 13, 1949 | 1949 Isle of Man TT | Norton | Race |
Edouard Bruylant (BEL) | July 17, 1949 | 1949 Belgian Grand Prix | Norton | Race |
"Hurst" (GBR) | July 17, 1949 | 1949 Belgian Grand Prix | Norton | Race |
David Whitworth (GBR) | July 2, 1950 | 1950 Belgian Grand Prix | Velocette | Race |
John O'Driscoll (GBR) | May 31, 1951 | 1951 Isle of Man TT | Rudge | Practice |
John Wenman (GBR) | June 4, 1951 | 1951 Isle of Man TT | Norton | Race |
Chris Horn (GBR) | June 8, 1951 | 1951 Isle of Man TT | Norton | Race |
Dario Ambrosini (ITA) | July 14, 1951 | 1951 French Grand Prix | Benelli | Practice |
Sante Geminiani (ITA) | August 15, 1951 | 1951 Ulster Grand Prix | Moto Guzzi | Practice |
Gianni Leoni (ITA) | August 15, 1951 | 1951 Ulster Grand Prix | Moto Guzzi | Practice |
Dave Bennett (UK) | May 18, 1952 | 1952 Swiss Grand Prix | Norton | Race |
Ercole Frigerio (ITA) | May 18, 1952 | 1952 Swiss Grand Prix | Gilera | Race |
Frank Fry (UK) | June 4, 1952 | 1952 Isle of Man TT | Norton | Practice |
Norman Stewart (UK) | August 16, 1952 | 1952 Ulster Grand Prix | Norton | Race |
Harry Stephen (UK) | June 8, 1953 | 1953 Isle of Man TT | Norton | Race |
Thomas Swarbrick (UK) | June 8, 1953 | 1953 Isle of Man TT | AJS | Race |
Leslie Graham (UK) | June 12, 1953 | 1953 Isle of Man TT | MV Agusta | Race |
Geoffrey Walker (AUS) | June 12, 1953 | 1953 Isle of Man TT | Norton | Race |
Ernie Ring (AUS) | July 5, 1953 | 1953 Belgian Grand Prix | AJS | Race |
Simon Sandys-Winsch (UK) | June 18, 1954 | 1954 Isle of Man TT | Velocette | Race |
Gordon Laing (UK) | July 4, 1954 | 1954 Belgian Grand Prix | Norton | Race |
Dennis Lashmar (UK) | July 25, 1954 | 1954 German Grand Prix | BSA | Race |
Rupert Hollaus (AUT) | September 11, 1954 | 1954 Nations Grand Prix | NSU | Practice |
Ricardo Galvagni (ARG) | June 25, 1955 | 1955 German Grand Prix | Norton | Practice |
Julian Crossley (UK) | August 11, 1955 | 1955 Ulster Grand Prix | Norton | Race |
Derek Ennett (IOM) | August 9, 1956 | 1956 Ulster Grand Prix | Moto Guzzi | Race |
Charlie Salt (UK) | June 7, 1957 | 1957 Isle of Man TT | BSA | Race |
Josef Knebel (GER) | June 28, 1957 | 1957 Dutch TT | BMW | Practice |
Roberto Colombo (ITA) | July 6, 1957 | 1957 Belgian Grand Prix | MV Agusta | Practice |
John Antram (NZ) | May 26, 1958 | 1958 Isle of Man TT | AJS | Practice |
Des Wolff (RHO) | June 6, 1958 | 1958 Isle of Man TT | Norton | Race |
Adolfo Covi (ITA) | September 6, 1959 | 1959 Nations Grand Prix | Norton | Race |
Peter Ferbrache (UK) | June 25, 1960 | 1960 Dutch TT | AJS | Race |
Bob Brown (AUS) | July 24, 1960 | 1960 German Grand Prix | Honda | Practice |
Mike Brookes (UK) | June 10, 1961 | 1961 Isle of Man TT | Norton | Practice |
Marie Lambert (CH) | June 12, 1961 | 1961 Isle of Man TT | BMW | Race |
Ralph Rensen (UK) | June 16, 1961 | 1961 Isle of Man TT | Norton | Race |
Ron Miles (AUS) | August 9, 1961 | 1961 Ulster Grand Prix | Norton | Practice |
Tom Phillis (AUS) | June 6, 1962 | 1962 Isle of Man TT | Honda | Race |
Colin Meehan (NZ) | June 6, 1962 | 1962 Isle of Man TT | AJS | Race |
Hans Schuld (NED) | June 29, 1962 | 1962 Dutch TT | NSU | Practice |
Marcelin Herranz (FRA) | June 1, 1963 | 1963 French Grand Prix | Moto Morini | Practice |
Brian Cockrell (UK) | June 2, 1964 | 1964 Isle of Man TT | Norton | Practice |
Peter Essery (UK) | June 8, 1964 | 1964 Isle of Man TT | Matchless | Race |
Roland Föll (GER) | June 26, 1964 | 1964 Dutch TT | Honda | Practice |
Karl Recktenwald (GER) | July 19, 1964 | 1964 German Grand Prix | Norton | Race |
Vernon Cottle (UK) | August 29, 1964 | 1964 Finnish Grand Prix | AJS | Race |
Norman Huntingford (UK) | June 25, 1966 | 1966 Dutch TT | Matchless | Race |
Toshio Fujii (JPN) | August 26, 1966 | 1966 Isle of Man TT | Kawasaki | Practice |
Brian Duffy (UK) | August 28, 1966 | 1966 Isle of Man TT | Yamaha | Race |
Alfred Shaw (UK) | June 10, 1967 | 1967 Isle of Man TT | Norton | Practice |
Werner Daubitz (DDR) | July 16, 1967 | 1967 East German Grand Prix | MZ | Practice |
Ian Veitch (NZ) | June 10, 1968 | 1968 Isle of Man TT | Kawasaki | Race |
Johann Attenberger (GER) | July 7, 1968 | 1968 Belgian Grand Prix | BMW | Race |
Josef Schillinger (GER) | July 7, 1968 | 1968 Belgian Grand Prix | BMW | Race |
Rolf Schmid (GER) | October 13, 1968 | 1968 Hockenheim Grand Prix [N 1] | BMW | Race |
Arthur Lavington (UK) | June 6, 1969 | 1969 Isle of Man TT | Velocette | Practice |
Bill Ivy (UK) | July 12, 1969 | 1969 East German Grand Prix | Jawa | Practice |
František Boček (CSK) | July 20, 1969 | 1969 Czechoslovakian Grand Prix | Jawa | Race |
Robin Fitton (UK) | May 2, 1970 | 1970 German Grand Prix | Norton | Practice |
Les Iles (UK) | June 1, 1970 | 1970 Isle of Man TT | Bultaco | Practice |
Michael Collins (UK) | June 3, 1970 | 1970 Isle of Man TT | Seeley | Practice |
Dennis Blower (UK) | June 3, 1970 | 1970 Isle of Man TT | BSA | Practice |
Santiago Herrero (ESP) | June 8, 1970 | 1970 Isle of Man TT | Ossa | Race |
John Wetherall (MLT) | June 12, 1970 | 1970 Isle of Man TT | Norton | Race |
Brian Steenson (UK) | June 12, 1970 | 1970 Isle of Man TT | Seeley | Race |
Maurice Jeffery (UK) | June 12, 1971 | 1971 Isle of Man TT | Norton | Race |
Christian Ravel (FRA) | July 4, 1971 | 1971 Belgian Grand Prix | Kawasaki | Race |
Günter Bartusch (DDR) | July 8, 1971 | 1971 East German Grand Prix | MZ | Practice |
Gilberto Parlotti (ITA) | June 9, 1972 | 1972 Isle of Man TT | Morbidelli | Race |
Hans-Jürgen Cusnik (GER) | July 16, 1972 | 1972 Czechoslovakian Grand Prix | BMW | Race |
Renzo Pasolini (ITA) | May 20, 1973 | 1973 Nations Grand Prix | Harley-Davidson | Race |
Jarno Saarinen (FIN) | May 20, 1973 | 1973 Nations Grand Prix | Yamaha | Race |
Billie Nelson (UK) | September 8, 1974 | 1974 Yugoslavian Grand Prix | Yamaha | Race |
Phil Gurner (UK) | June 4, 1975 | 1975 Isle of Man TT | Yamaha | Race |
Rolf Thiele (GER) | June 28, 1975 | 1975 Dutch TT | Yamaha | Race |
Paolo Tordi (ITA) | May 16, 1976 | 1976 Nations Grand Prix | Yamaha | Race |
Otello Buscherini (ITA) | May 16, 1976 | 1976 Nations Grand Prix | Yamaha | Race |
Walter Wörner (GER) | June 7, 1976 | 1976 Isle of Man TT | Yamaha | Race |
Les Kenny (AUS) | June 12, 1976 | 1976 Isle of Man TT | Yamaha | Race |
Hans Stadelmann (CH) | May 1, 1977 | 1977 Austrian Grand Prix | Yamaha | Race |
Giovanni Ziggiotto (ITA) | June 18, 1977 | 1977 Yugoslavian Grand Prix | Yamaha | Practice |
Ulrich Graf (CH) | June 19, 1977 | 1977 Yugoslavian Grand Prix | Kreidler | Race |
Patrick Pons (FRA) | August 10, 1980 | 1980 British Grand Prix | Yamaha | Race |
Malcolm White (UK) | August 10, 1980 | 1980 British Grand Prix | NA | Race |
Michel Rougerie (FRA) | May 31, 1981 | 1981 Yugoslavian Grand Prix | Chevallier | Race |
Sauro Pazzaglia (ITA) | July 11, 1981 | 1981 San Marino Grand Prix | MBA | Practice |
Alain Béraud (FRA) | August 30, 1981 | 1981 Czechoslovakian Grand Prix | Yamaha | Race |
Jock Taylor (UK) | August 15, 1982 | 1982 Finnish Grand Prix | Windle | Race |
Iwao Ishikawa (JPN) | March 29, 1983 | 1983 French Grand Prix | Suzuki | Practice |
Michel Frutschi (CH) | April 3, 1983 | 1983 French Grand Prix | Honda | Race |
Rolf Rüttimann (CH) | June 12, 1983 | 1983 Yugoslavian Grand Prix | NA | Race |
Norman Brown (UK) | July 31, 1983 | 1983 British Grand Prix | Suzuki | Race |
Peter Huber (CH) | July 31, 1983 | 1983 British Grand Prix | Suzuki | Race |
Kevin Wrettom (UK) | July 7, 1984 | 1984 Belgian Grand Prix | Suzuki | Practice |
Alfred Heck (GER) | July 21, 1988 | 1988 French Grand Prix | LCR | Practice |
Iván Palazzese (VEN) | May 28, 1989 | 1989 German Grand Prix | Aprilia | Race |
Nobuyuki Wakai (JPN) | May 1, 1993 | 1993 Spanish Grand Prix | Suzuki | Practice |
Simon Prior (UK) | June 12, 1994 | 1994 German Grand Prix | LCR | Race |
Daijiro Kato (JPN) | April 6, 2003 | 2003 Japanese Grand Prix | Honda | Race |
Shoya Tomizawa (JPN) | September 5, 2010 | 2010 San Marino and Rimini Grand Prix | Suter | Race |
Marco Simoncelli (ITA) | October 23, 2011 | 2011 Malaysian Grand Prix | Honda | Race |
Luis Salom (ESP) | June 3, 2016 | 2016 Catalan Grand Prix | Kalex | Practice |
List of MotoGP riders fatalities circuit wise
Circuit | Total |
Salzburgring | 1 |
Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps | 10 |
Brno Circuit | 3 |
Imatra Circuit | 2 |
Bugatti Circuit | 2 |
Charade Circuit | 1 |
Circuit d'Albi | 1 |
Circuit Paul Ricard | 1 |
Hockenheimring | 3 |
Nürburgring | 2 |
Sachsenring | 3 |
Solitudering | 3 |
Snaefell Mountain Course | 36 |
Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari | 1 |
Autodromo Nazionale Monza | 4 |
Misano Circuit | 1 |
Mugello Circuit | 2 |
Suzuka Circuit | 1 |
Sepang International Circuit | 1 |
TT Circuit Assen | 7 |
Automotodrom Grobnik | 2 |
Opatija Circuit | 3 |
Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya | 1 |
Circuito de Jerez | 1 |
Circuit Bremgarten | 2 |
Clady Circuit | 3 |
Dundrod Circuit | 3 |
Silverstone Circuit | 4 |