Nine-Time World Champion · MXGP

Antonio Cairoli

Nine motocross world championships and 94 Grand Prix wins from 277 starts, behind only Jeffrey Herlings and Stefan Everts on both counts. He won five premier-class titles in a row between 2009 and 2013, and now develops Ducati’s motocross programme.

Nationality
Italian
Born
23 September 1985 · Patti, Sicily, Italy
Number
222
World titles
9 · MX2 2005, 2007 · MX1 2009–13 · MXGP 2014, 2017
Grand Prix wins
94 from 277 starts
Now
Ducati motocross programme
Shop the Collection Watch highlights
Nine-Time Motocross World Champion
2002 — 2021
9
World Championships
94
Grand Prix Wins
277
Grand Prix Starts
5
Titles in a Row

Who is Antonio Cairoli?

Antonio "Tony" Cairoli (born 23 September 1985) is an Italian motocross racer who won nine FIM Motocross World Championships between 2005 and 2017 and 94 Grand Prix races, behind only Jeffrey Herlings and Stefan Everts on both counts. He won five premier-class titles in a row from 2009 to 2013 and now works on Ducati’s motocross programme.

Full name
Antonio "Tony" Cairoli
Nationality
Italian
Career
2002–2021
Best known for
Nine motocross world championships and 94 Grand Prix wins

By Kozmozracing Editorial Published Updated 4 sources

Rider Profile

Antonio Cairoli: Full Biography

Antonio Cairoli, known as Tony, is an Italian motocross racer who won nine FIM Motocross World Championships between 2005 and 2017 and took 94 Grand Prix victories from 277 starts. Only Jeffrey Herlings and Stefan Everts have won more of either. He carried the number 222.

Sicily He was born at Patti in Sicily and made his Grand Prix debut in 2002 in Belgium. Riding for Yamaha he was third in MX2 in his first full season, and won the class in 2005 and again in 2007, when he took ten Grands Prix from fifteen and finished on the podium in thirteen of the fourteen he started.

KTM He moved up to the premier class in 2009 and won it at the first attempt in his last year with Yamaha, then joined KTM and won five titles in a row through 2013 — the first rider to defend the crown since Everts in 2006. A sixth premier title followed in 2014 and a seventh, his ninth overall, in 2017.

Ducati He was part of the Italian team that won the Motocross des Nations in 2021, his last season of racing. He then managed the Red Bull KTM factory team before leaving in 2023 to join Ducati’s new motocross programme, reporting to Ducati Corse director Paolo Ciabatti.

The Career

Three Chapters That Defined Antonio Cairoli

Chapter 01

Patti to Lommel

He was born at Patti, on the north coast of Sicily, in September 1985, and made his Grand Prix debut in 2002 at the Belgian round. His first full season came in 2004 on a Yamaha in MX2, and he took third in the championship with a maiden Grand Prix win at the twelfth round. The first title followed in 2005 with six wins and nine podiums, and after a runner-up year in 2006 came the season that made his name: in 2007 he won ten of the fifteen Grands Prix, finished on the podium in thirteen of the fourteen he started, and averaged 1.71 across the year. A torn cruciate ligament in South Africa cost him five rounds and the defence of that title in 2008. He has spent his career based between Rome and Lommel in Belgium, where he trained, with his wife Jill Cox.

Antonio Cairoli in the air on his Red Bull Yamaha during the 2008 season, his last full year in the MX2 class. Red Bull Yamaha · 2008 Photo: Antonio Cairoli, Yamaha (2008) by Christopher Schmid / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (cropped and resized) · licence
Chapter 02

Five in a Row

He moved to the premier class for 2009, his last year with Yamaha, and won the MX1 championship at the first attempt with four Grand Prix victories. KTM signed him for 2010 and he defended the title, the first rider to do so since Stefan Everts in 2006, adding eight wins. Three more followed without a break: 2011 with six wins, 2012 with eleven from the fifteen rounds he rode, and 2013 with ten. On 5 August 2012 in the Czech Republic he took his fiftieth premier-class Grand Prix win. When the class was renamed MXGP for 2014 he won that too, a sixth consecutive premier-class championship and his eighth in all. Across the five title seasons from 2009 to 2013 he averaged better than a podium in four of every five Grands Prix he started.

Antonio Cairoli cornering his Red Bull KTM at Loket in the Czech Republic in 2011, the year of his third consecutive premier-class title. Red Bull KTM · Loket, 2011 Photo: Antonio Cairoli, KTM, Loket (2011) by Neuwieser / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0 (resized) · licence
Chapter 03

Ninth, and Ducati

A fractured elbow at Maggiora ended his 2015 season early and he finished seventh, the worst of his career to that point; two broken ribs and a wrist injury followed in 2016, when he was runner-up. He answered both in 2017 with six Grand Prix wins and a ninth world championship. Four more seasons followed — second in 2018, tenth in 2019 after a shoulder injury, third in 2020 — and he closed his career in 2021 as part of the Italian team that won the Motocross des Nations. He retired with 94 Grand Prix victories, a total behind only Jeffrey Herlings and Stefan Everts, from 277 starts. He took over as manager of the Red Bull KTM factory team, left in 2023, and joined Ducati’s new motocross programme, reporting to Ducati Corse director Paolo Ciabatti, with the first Ducati motocross machines ready to race in 2025.

Antonio Cairoli, number 222, riding his Red Bull KTM at the 2016 MXGP of Switzerland. Red Bull KTM · MXGP of Switzerland, 2016 Photo: Antonio Cairoli, MXGP of Switzerland (2016) by AcidMoto.ch / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (cropped and resized) · licence
Career Timeline

Antonio Cairoli Career Timeline: 1985–Present

Born in Sicily

Antonio Cairoli is born on 23 September at Patti, in Sicily.

Grand Prix Debut

Makes his world championship debut at the Belgian round of the 125cc class.

First Win

Third in MX2 in his first full season, with a maiden Grand Prix victory.

First Title

Wins the MX2 world championship on a Yamaha.

Ten From Fifteen

A second MX2 title, from ten Grand Prix wins and thirteen podiums.

Injury

A torn cruciate ligament in South Africa costs him five rounds.

Premier Class

Wins the MX1 championship at the first attempt, in his last Yamaha season.

KTM

Defends the title on a KTM, the first to do so since Stefan Everts in 2006.

Fiftieth Win

Takes his fiftieth premier-class Grand Prix victory in the Czech Republic.

Five in a Row

A fifth consecutive premier-class world championship.

MXGP

Wins the renamed MXGP class for an eighth title overall.

Ninth Title

A ninth world championship, from six Grand Prix wins.

Nations, and Retirement

Wins the Motocross des Nations with Italy and ends his racing career.

Ducati

Joins Ducati’s motocross programme after leaving KTM the previous year.

By the Numbers

Antonio Cairoli World Championship Record, Season by Season

Antonio Cairoli season-by-season record: team, gp wins, podiums, avg finish, podium % and final standing.
SeasonTeam GP Wins Podiums Avg Finish Podium % Pos.
2004 Yamaha · MX2 1 5 4.85 36% 3
2005 Yamaha · MX2 6 9 4.81 56% 1
2006 Yamaha · MX2 3 9 3.53 60% 2
2007 Yamaha · MX2 10 13 1.71 93% 1
2008 Yamaha · MX2 4 6 3.22 67% 6
2009 Yamaha · MX1 4 9 3.60 60% 1
2010 KTM · MX1 8 12 1.71 86% 1
2011 KTM · MX1 6 12 2.35 86% 1
2012 KTM · MX1 11 14 1.80 93% 1
2013 KTM · MX1 10 16 2.00 89% 1
2014 KTM · MXGP 9 14 2.23 82% 1
2015 KTM · MXGP 2 6 6.89 50% 7
2016 KTM · MXGP 3 8 4.22 44% 2
2017 KTM · MXGP 6 12 3.47 63% 1
2018 KTM · MXGP 2 14 3.00 74% 2
2019 KTM · MXGP 4 6 3.78 67% 10
2020 KTM · MXGP 3 7 4.89 39% 3
2021 KTM · MXGP 2 7 4.81 44% 6

Championship seasons are highlighted; the nine highlighted rows are his nine world titles. Every column is counted from his round-by-round results, and the Grand Prix wins column reproduces his published career figures exactly: 94 in total, and 24 in MX2, 39 in MX1 and 31 in MXGP when split by class, which is the same breakdown the published record gives. Podiums are Grand Prix overall podiums and sum to 179, a total the published sources do not themselves state. Average Finish is the mean of his Grand Prix overall results that season and Podium % the share of them that were podiums; both are taken from the same round-by-round record. The 277 starts in the summary above are the published figure and are not derived here. The premier class was called MX1 from 2004 and renamed MXGP for 2014. Figures verified 6 September 2026.

Frequently Asked

Antonio Cairoli: Frequently Asked Questions

How many world championships has Antonio Cairoli won?

Nine: the MX2 class in 2005 and 2007, the MX1 class in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013, and the MXGP class in 2014 and 2017. Only Stefan Everts, with ten, has won more.

How many Grand Prix races has Antonio Cairoli won?

94, from 277 starts — 24 in MX2, 39 in MX1 and 31 in MXGP. Only Jeffrey Herlings, with 122, and Stefan Everts, with 101, have won more.

Is Antonio Cairoli the same person as Tony Cairoli?

Yes. Antonio is his given name and Tony the name he races under; both are used interchangeably. He carries the number 222.

What was Antonio Cairoli’s best season?

2007, in MX2. He won ten of the fifteen Grands Prix, finished on the podium in thirteen of the fourteen he started, and averaged 1.71 across the year — the best average finish of his career, matched only by 2010.

How many titles did Antonio Cairoli win in a row?

Five consecutive premier-class championships, from 2009 to 2013, and six in a row counting 2014, when the class was renamed MXGP. He was the first rider to defend the premier-class title since Stefan Everts in 2006.

Does Antonio Cairoli still race?

No. His last full season was 2021, which he ended by winning the Motocross des Nations with Italy. He then managed the Red Bull KTM factory team.

What does Antonio Cairoli do for Ducati?

He left KTM in 2023 and joined Ducati’s new motocross programme, working on the development of the manufacturer’s motocross machines and reporting to Ducati Corse director Paolo Ciabatti. The first Ducati motocross bikes were ready to race in 2025.

What injuries has Antonio Cairoli had?

A torn cruciate ligament in South Africa in 2008 that cost him five rounds and the defence of his MX2 title, a knee injury at the 2014 Motocross des Nations, a fractured elbow at Maggiora in 2015, two broken ribs and a wrist injury in 2016, and a shoulder injury in 2019.

Where is Antonio Cairoli from?

Patti, on the north coast of Sicily, where he was born in September 1985. He has spent his racing career based between Rome and Lommel in Belgium, where he trained.

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References

Sources & Further Reading

Every statistic on this page is drawn from the following records.

  1. MXGP — Motocross World Championship · Infront Moto Racing (official)
  2. Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme · FIM (official)
  3. Tony Cairoli · Wikipedia
  4. Antonio Cairoli (Q2641189) · Wikidata entity record

How this page is made

Rider profiles are compiled from official series records and cross-checked against independent statistical databases before publication.

Commercial disclosure. This page links to merchandise sold by Kozmozracing. Products are fan-made tributes inspired by motorsport history and are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or licensed from the rider, their estate, or any team.

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