MotoGP The best rider of all time?

Every sport, every discipline, every specialty has its giants. Respected men, sometimes elevated to the rank of God. The divine comparison is easy, since these athletes, cooks, artisans and all that follows seem to benefit from higher grace even before birth. Here, it will be about motorcycle Grands Prix. The question of the best driver of all time is certainly futile, but devilishly interesting. Analysis.

We all agree: comparing eras makes no sense. Nobody can imagine Valentino Rossi on Giacomo Agostini's MV Agusta, much more beastly, natural and simple than the YZR-M1. The opposite is just as true. Mike Hailwood, as it stands, could not control current machines.

Let's free ourselves from temporal barriers for the duration of an article. Who is the rider who dazzled you the most on the handlebars? It's about feelings before statistics. Valentino Rossi, Marc Márquez et Jorge Lorenzo come to mind. However, a sacred monster is far too often excluded from the debate.

Eddie lawson. The American, by his discreet character, not to say shy, often goes off the radar when THE question is mentioned. But are you able to name a more lethal, precise, surgical pilot in his time? Not sure.

A little reminder of the facts. Eddie arrived in the world in 1983, a prosperous time. Kenny roberts, who has just written a page of the tale, leaves his pen to Lawson. Immediately, the microcosm discovers a sensational pilot, of unparalleled cleanliness. Jorge Lorenzo before Jorge Lorenzo, the two-stroke more and the electronics less.

 

Eddie stands out from his compatriots. While Randy Mamola puts on a show on and off the track, “Steady”, for “the stable”, stacks up the trophies without making a single mistake. Once the helmet comes off, it's his sensitivity and shyness that speak for him. Like a Jim Clark in Formula 1, Lawson is not cut out for the media world. Like the Scotsman, it fell on him. An elected official if you prefer.

A gift is cultivated. Thus, the Californian is constantly working to improve its performance and increase its lethality. In 1984, he became 500cc world champion for the first time, on Yamaha.

Certainly the best driver in the world during this particularly competitive period. Gardner, Uncini, Spencer, Schwantz and Doohan all finished behind Eddie. Two other titles will follow, in 1986 et 1988.

Making the decision to leave the Yamaha cocoon, Eddie must deal with Erv Kanemoto and Honda for 1989. That year, he recited his most beautiful poem to us. Thanks to his racing experience, he defies the odds and overcomes Wayne Rainey, one of his “children”.

This fourth world title marks the end of the Lawson dynasty. A nasty injury at the beginning of 1990 put an end to the genius's hopes. Cagiva decided to use it in 1991, as a last resort. Once again, wisdom and intelligence pay off. He joined the very exclusive club of Grand Prix winners on three different machines in Hungary a year later.

 

Is he the best driver of all time ? Nobody knows. The fact that we are asking the question is already revealing. Or rather should I phrase it differently. Weather conditions and equal motorcycles selected randomly, who do you choose, in the history of Grands Prix, to win a championship of sixteen races?

You need a rider with a mind of steel, with a lot of experience, strong in package, adaptable to any mount and who has proven himself in the sun as well as in the wet. Look no further, he's your man.

 

Cover photo: Rikita