Dani Pedrosa has the most MotoGP race wins of any rider who never won the premier-class world championship.
Pedrosa won 31 MotoGP races between 2006 and 2018, all with Repsol Honda. He also collected 112 podiums, making him one of the most successful riders in the category despite never finishing a MotoGP season first.
His closest championship finishes came in 2007, 2010 and 2012, when he ended each season as runner-up. Injuries, missed races and strong rivals—including Casey Stoner, Jorge Lorenzo and Marc Márquez—repeatedly disrupted his title campaigns.
The wording can cause a common mix-up: Pedrosa did win three world titles in the smaller classes, taking the 125cc crown in 2003 and two 250cc titles in 2004 and 2005. The record refers specifically to the MotoGP, or premier-class, championship.