Eight the year before, astonishingly nine different riders won in 14 rounds in 2020.
It has been three years since MotoGP witnessed a truly dominant force, since Marc Marquez won 12 races out of 19 to cement his sixth premier class championship and establish himself as the sport’s king.
Giacomo Agostini, whose eight premier class championships from the 1960s and 70s remains the all-time benchmark, believes the sport is currently suffering from too many different riders being able to win a race.
“This motorcycling is interesting on a competitive and technical level, with many riders who can win races and titles,” Agostini told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
“But are we really sure that the show benefits from several winners in each race?
“For me we need a super champion, a rider who wins continuously and who is the identification of motorcycling, able to conquer and make old and new fans dream.
“If a different rider prevails in every race, the public in the grandstands and in front of the TV will think that anyone can win in this MotoGP.
“If the idea passes that winning is easy, goodbye racing charm and goodbye MotoGP.”
The past two years have seen Fabio Quartararo and Francesco Bagnaia claim their maiden championships, and while they remain two of the favorites in 2023 too, a host of young talents will also eye the top prize.
Enea Bastianini, newly invigorated by a spot at Ducati’s factory team in the 2023 MotoGP rider line-up, wants the title for himself. Pramac’s Jorge Martin is riding with a point to prove.
Or could veteran riders – Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro or KTM’s Jack Miller – finally put it all together?
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Marquez remains the enigma though. Still on the road to recovery from his career-threatening surgery last time, he has already criticized the Repsol Honda 2023 prototype, so has big odds to overcome.
But Marquez remains the most recent “super-champion” that Agostini wants.