Moto GP Riders with the Highest Win Percentage When Starting on Pole: A Data-Driven Ranking

The SB Market Index gives us a comprehensive way to measure by using the industry data of 80% and the normalized SB score of 20% for balance so that it ensures that the riders like Marc Marquez who dominated both in the raw numbers and efficiency tops the list and the index accounts for era differences such as few races during Agostini’s era so that it is a fair way to compare the racers. 

Marc Marquez: The King of Poles and Conversion

There is no denying that Marc Marquez has been dominating the MotoGP in this current era, and he has 74 poles and has converted 79.7% of those poles to victories. His aggressive style and Honda and Ducati’s setup allowed him to maintain leads from the start. Marquez has six world titles to his name, and in 2014, he won 10 consecutive races from pole position. Marquez has won 59 times from pole position, and his ability to be adaptable has made him one of the best in the game to date.

Mick Doohan: The 1990s Pole to win Machine

Mick Doohan’s career in the 90s was very dominant. He secured 58 poles and turned 79.3% of that into wins, and he also won five consecutive titles from 1994 to 1998 with Honda. It was a whopping 46 wins and especially when you consider he returned from a bad crash in 1992. The stats even show that his conversion rate was at its highest in his title runs, and he won an impressive 12 races in 1997 alone. Doohan’s influence still lives on today among riders of this generation.

Giacomo Agostini: The Golden Era Standard

Agostini set the bar really high in the '60s and '70s, and he had an estimated 23 poles with a 78.2% win conversion rate. He raced for MV Agusta, and though there were fewer events, the competition was pretty high. Agostini had 18 wins from pole, and he secured 500cc titles. The historical data showed that his stats were insane as he won by very large margins, and he even had success in the 350cc, which further cemented his status as one of the best riders. 

Lorenzo, Rossi, and Stoner: Consistency vs Brilliance 

Jorge Lorenzo’s 43 pole positions and his 72% conversion rate were very impressive. It was 31 wins from pole, and his time with Yamaha saw him win titles in 2010, 2012, and 2015, and the infamous race in 2015 in Valencia that was the deciding race as well. Valentino Rossi had 55 pole positions and a conversion rate of 63.6% and he was consistent for a very long time as he secured 35 wins from pole with seven titles to his name for Honda and Yamaha. Stoner had 39 poles and a 59% conversion rate as he delivered 23 wins, and everyone remembers that title in 2007 with Ducati. All these riders show that pole position is one thing, but you need to dominate on race day as well.