– Wildcard entries have always been popular in MotoGP, even though in recent decades most starts have only come about through direct involvement of the manufacturers and usually served development purposes.
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Given the high professionalism of the championship, it is becoming increasingly difficult for riders to step in on a race weekend and be immediately competitive – regardless of how many test kilometers they have completed.
In addition, wildcard riders often focus on testing new parts under race conditions, so top placements are not the highest priority. Nevertheless, there have been numerous outstanding results in the past two decades, especially when weather conditions provided balanced circumstances.
Since MotoGP will ban wildcard entries from the new rule era in 2027, we take a look at five riders who particularly impressed during their guest appearances.
Akira Ryo (Suzuka 2002)
The 2002 Japanese Grand Prix was a milestone in motorcycle racing and marked the beginning of the new MotoGP era with 1000cc four-strokes. Suzuki test rider Akira Ryo made a brilliant start from seventh place and took the lead early. Polesitter Valentino Rossi initially fell back on his factory Honda.
Ryo led for large parts of the race but ultimately could not defend against Rossi, who overtook him in the last chicane on lap 16.
The Japanese rider countered in the final phase and came very close to another overtaking maneuver at least once but eventually had to settle for a strong second place, finishing just 1.5 seconds behind.
Michele Pirro (Valencia 2018)
At the 2018 MotoGP season finale in Valencia, Michele Pirro started as a wildcard rider from twelfth place and initially had a rather unspectacular start. Under difficult conditions, the Ducati rider crashed early in turn 10.
A longer race interruption, however, allowed him to restart. On the still wet track, he fought his way through the field up to fifth place.
When Valentino Rossi crashed four laps from the end, Pirro moved up to fourth – his best MotoGP result to date. The gap to third-placed Aleix Espargaro was only 1.2 seconds at the end. Pirro also beat factory rider Jorge Lorenzo, whom he had replaced at the previous race in Sepang.
Ben Spies (Indianapolis 2008)
Ben Spies made his third appearance in Indianapolis in 2008, and his second as a wildcard for Suzuki. After already impressing with eighth place in Laguna Seca, he improved significantly at the second US race of the season.
In qualifying, he was the only Suzuki rider in the top 10 and placed his machine in fifth on the grid. A poor start initially set him back in the race, but he quickly fought his way up to sixth and then engaged in an exciting duel with world champion Casey Stoner.
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The race was prematurely stopped due to Hurricane Ike, but this did not diminish Spies’ strong performance. Just two weeks later, it was announced that Spies would move up to MotoGP in 2009 – with Yamaha.
Dani Pedrosa (multiple races)
Photo gallery: The career highlights of Dani Pedrosa
Dani Pedrosa ended his MotoGP career after the 2018 season but has since played a central role in the development of the KTM RC16. In recent years, he has competed four times as a wildcard and impressed each time with his pace.
At the 2023 San Marino Grand Prix, Pedrosa qualified in a strong fifth place and achieved two top-4 results. In the sprint, he narrowly missed a podium when he was about to overtake Francesco Bagnaia – an impressive performance just a few weeks before his 38th birthday.
The following year, he even made it into the top 3: at the sprint in Jerez, he fought his way through the field and benefited retrospectively from a penalty against Fabio Quartararo. The 2024 Spanish Grand Prix was his last MotoGP appearance to date.
Pol Espargaro (multiple races)
Photo gallery: The career highlights of Pol Espargaro
Pol Espargaro’s career as a regular rider was practically ended by his serious injury in Portimao 2023, but he remains active as a test rider for KTM.
In 2024, he led the motorcycle to a solid ninth place in the sprint at the Red Bull Ring and again reached the top 10 at the San Marino Grand Prix. He was particularly impressive as a replacement for the injured Maverick Vinales.
The Spaniard represented Tech3 in the second half of the season and not only regularly finished in the top 10 but was able to compete within the KTM team with Brad Binder and Enea Bastianini. Even Pedro Acosta said that Espargaro deserved another chance in MotoGP.
Other noteworthy performances
There have been many other impressive appearances by riders who stepped into MotoGP at short notice, usually as replacement riders and not as classic wildcards.
Troy Bayliss, for example, won the 2006 Valencia Grand Prix for Ducati as a replacement for Sete Gibernau, having already had almost three seasons of experience. In contrast, Katsuyuki Nakasuga finished second in Valencia 2012, despite having only a few MotoGP starts before.
Oliver Jacque took Kawasaki’s first MotoGP podium in 2005 in China when he took over Alex Hofmann’s bike, while Jonathan Rea drew attention in 2012 as a replacement for Casey Stoner with two top-10 results.
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More recently, Takaaki Nakagami finished sixth at the rainy 2025 French Grand Prix. The Japanese rider officially retired as a regular rider only at the end of 2024.
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