MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3 are the three classes that make up the Grand Prix motorcycle world championship. They run together at each round as a clear ladder of speed and experience:
- Moto3 is the entry class. It uses small, lightweight 250cc single-cylinder four-stroke bikes with tightly controlled costs, so it rewards racecraft and slipstreaming battles. Riders are typically the youngest on the grid.
- Moto2 is the middleweight intermediate class. Every bike uses the same control engine, so the racing showcases rider talent and chassis set-up rather than engine power. It is the final proving ground before the top class.
- MotoGP is the pinnacle — the fastest class, contested on 1,000cc prototype machines built by manufacturers such as Ducati, Yamaha, Honda, KTM and Aprilia, reaching well over 350 km/h.
A rider usually climbs Moto3 → Moto2 → MotoGP, much as a car racer climbs the feeder-series ladder toward Formula 1.