The 250cc two-stroke class had been a fixture of Grand Prix motorcycle racing since the championship's founding in 1949. By 2010 the FIM had determined to phase it out along with all two-stroke machinery in the world championship, completing a broader shift to four-stroke technology that had already transformed the premier MotoGP class from 2002.
Moto2 launched for the 2010 season as a 600cc four-stroke class. Engines were supplied exclusively by Honda, based on the production CBR600RR road bike, and produced around 140 bhp. This spec-engine format was intended to reduce costs compared to the unrestricted 250cc era and shift competition emphasis to chassis, rider skill, and setup rather than engine development. No chassis limitations were imposed, leaving manufacturers free to develop their own frames and swingarms. Carbon brake discs were banned and only steel discs allowed. Electronics were limited to FIM-sanctioned systems. Tyres were supplied by Dunlop from the class's debut.
The class's inaugural 2010 season was marked by tragedy. Japanese rider Shoya Tomizawa was killed at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli during that year's San Marino Grand Prix, becoming the first fatality of the new class. In 2016, Spanish rider Luis Salom was killed during a Moto2 practice session at the Catalan Grand Prix after a high-speed impact with his own stricken motorcycle.
For the 2019 season Triumph Motorcycles replaced Honda as the sole Moto2 engine supplier. The Triumph unit is a 765cc three-cylinder engine derived from the Street Triple RS 765 road bike — a significant change from the previous Honda's 600cc inline-four configuration, offering more displacement and a different power and torque character. In 2019 Moto2 also adopted the qualifying format previously used by MotoGP.
The same year saw the introduction of TotalEnergies as fuel supplier for the Moto2 and Moto3 classes, later switching to Petronas for the 2020 and subsequent seasons.
Dunlop supplied Moto2 tyres from the class's inception through 2023. From the 2024 season Pirelli became the sole tyre supplier for both Moto2 and Moto3. TotalEnergies had supplied fuel in earlier seasons; Petronas became fuel supplier from 2020.
The Moto2 World Championship title is awarded on a cumulative points basis across all rounds of the season, using the same points scale applied in MotoGP and Moto3. From 2023 a sprint race format was introduced in MotoGP; Moto2 and Moto3 do not run the same sprint format but participate on the same race weekends across a calendar of around 20 circuits.
The class has produced champions from across Europe and Latin America. In 2025, Brazilian rider Diogo Moreira became Moto2 World Champion, making him the first Brazilian rider to claim a World Championship in Grand Prix motorcycle racing history. Marc Márquez and Valentino Rossi, both former 250cc champions before those records were reframed as the predecessor class, represent the lineage connecting Moto2 to the earlier 250cc championship.
Moto2 is widely regarded as the key pipeline for talent advancing to MotoGP. The class's spec engine requirement directs development effort toward chassis and rider development, making it an accurate test of the physical and technical skills needed at the premier level. Several MotoGP champions have come directly from Moto2 title victories or strong showings in the class.
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