The Race MotoGP Podcast

Despite Simon Patterson's years of predictions on The Race MotoGP Podcast that satellite riders can't win championships, Jorge Martin has done just that. So Simon - wearing his 'Satellite riders can win championships' T-shirt from The Race shop - joins Val Khorounzhiy, Megan White and Matt Beer on the season finale episode to discuss how it happened, if it's repeatable, the role Pecco Bagnaia's mistakes played in it and much more. And we also reveal a very special new MotoGP series coming to The Race Members' Club in 2025. Want more MotoGP podcast content? Sign up to our motorbike-only Riders tier on Patreon for that episode, ad-free listening and more. Head to Patreon.com/therace Follow the Race Moto channel on Instagram and Twitter Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is a satellite rider about to win the MotoGP world championship (and prove The Race MotoGP Podcast's Simon Patterson very wrong)? It's advantage Jorge Martin heading into the Barcelona finale, but after a(nother) season of mad swings between Pramac Ducati rider Martin and factory rival Pecco Bagnaia can the decider really be that simple? At The Race Members' Club's request, we've created special championship finale 'Satellite riders can/can't win championships' T-shirts - click the links to buy them! Does Simon still predict a factory world champion? Find out in the season finale preview podcast as he, Val Khorounzhiy, Megan White and Matt Beer make their predictions for that and some other key fights in their wake. And our panel also attempts to summarise how we'll remember the massive 13 team/rider or team/factory partnerships that are about to end. Want more MotoGP podcast content? Sign up to our motorbike-only Riders tier on Patreon for that episode, ad-free listening and more. Head to Patreon.com/therace Follow the Race Moto channel on Instagram and Twitter Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

MotoGP title rivals Jorge Martin and Pecco Bagnaia treated us to some of the most extraordinary wheel to wheel racing of the 2024 season in the Malaysian Grand Prix, but even Bagnaia coming out on top didn't change the fact that it's Martin who is now on the cusp of being champion. The rivals' approaches to this enthralling GP opening laps at Sepang and the Bagnaia sprint error that maybe rendered them irrelevant in the big picture are delved into by Simon Patterson, Val Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer in the Malaysia episode of The Race MotoGP Podcast, with plenty of questions from The Race Members' Club about what was going through Bagnaia and Martin's minds. The whole weekend took place under the shadow of the tragic events in Valencia, home to many in the MotoGP world and where the series should have been heading for its finale in a fortnight. As Simon recounts, the floods and destruction in Spain made for a sombre atmosphere in the Sepang paddock - click here to donate to Valencian team Aspar's fundraiser for the relief effort. Want more MotoGP podcast content? Sign up to our motorbike-only Riders tier on Patreon for that episode, ad-free listening and more. Head to Patreon.com/therace Follow the Race Moto channel on Instagram and Twitter Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 2024 MotoGP title fight packed so many more twists into the Thai Grand Prix weekend even though it ended with Pecco Bagnaia only three points closer to Jorge Martin than he had been before Buriram. But the crashes, near-crashes, Marc Marquez interventions, lunges, attempts to stoke Bagnaia/Martin animosity, track limits mysteries and non-penalties all add up to plenty for Simon Patterson, Val Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer to debate on The Race MotoGP Podcast and plenty of questions that The Race Members' Club want answered. The stewards' handling of Franco Morbidelli's latest piece of wayward riding, Marquez's drama-filled grand prix, a frightening and bizarre Moto2 practice pitlane incident, Pedro Acosta's return to the podium (at Jack Miller's expense) and Andrea Iannone's likely return to MotoGP all feature too. Want more MotoGP podcast content? Sign up to our motorbike-only Riders tier on Patreon for that episode, ad-free listening and more. Head to Patreon.com/therace Follow the Race Moto channel on Instagram and Twitter Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jorge Martin has 20 points in hand over MotoGP title rival Pecco Bagnaia with three rounds to go in 2024 - but will he regret the five points Marc Marquez took off him at Phillip Island? And how was Marquez in position to do so anyway, given he was 13th heading into the first corner after a surreal tear-off mishap? Valentin Khorounzhiy, Simon Patterson and Megan White tackle these questions on the Australian Grand Prix edition of The Race MotoGP Podcast. They also look at the big sprint crash between Marco Bezzecchi and Maverick Vinales, consider Phillip Island's wildlife problem and answer questions from The Race Members Club. Want more MotoGP podcast content? Sign up to our motorbike-only Riders tier on Patreon for that episode, ad-free listening and more. Head to Patreon.com/therace Follow the Race Moto channel on Instagram and Twitter Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Ducati dominates not just the 2024 MotoGP season but inevitably also discussion on The Race MotoGP Podcast, we banned ourselves from talking about the championship leading team on this week's episode. Instead Simon Patterson, Val Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer delve into the big moves the rest of the paddock are making as they try to get out of Ducati's shadow. Honda's major technical signing from Aprilia, Aprilia's replacement for him, Yamaha's radical V4 engine switch and KTM's new team boss are all debated, as well as the impact of KTM's not-so-secret weapon Pedro Acosta. But we also look at the question marks over each project, from Aprilia's current on-track decline to Alex Rins's form for Yamaha and KTM's reputation for being less-than-cordial behind the scenes. Along the way we answer more of The Race Members' Club's questions on everything outside Ducati - join us on Patreon to be part of that community, put your questions in for our podcasts and get a host of exclusive members-only pods. Want more MotoGP podcast content? Sign up to our motorbike-only Riders tier on Patreon for that episode, ad-free listening and more. Head to Patreon.com/therace Follow the Race Moto channel on Instagram and Twitter Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pecco Bagnaia put on a clinic in MotoGP's Japanese Grand Prix at Motegi - but was he the only real winner on a particularly drab Sunday of premier-class race action? The Race MotoGP Podcast panel of Valentin Khorounzhiy, Simon Patterson and Megan White discuss a race that never really got going, and whether Jorge Martin should be happy to only lose 11 points after crashing in qualifying. Pedro Acosta's two falls from pole trigger a conversation about the merits and shortcomings of his rookie campaign, while several The Race Members Club questions are answered - including a closer look at that Ducati GP23 'downgrade' that made headlines during the weekend. Want more MotoGP podcast content? Sign up to our motorbike-only Riders tier on Patreon for that episode, ad-free listening and more. Head to Patreon.com/therace Follow the Race Moto channel on Instagram and Twitter Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The latest swings in the 2024 title fight give The Race MotoGP Podcast panel Simon Patterson, Val Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer plenty to debate and puzzle over after the Indonesian Grand Prix. After Jorge Martin crashed from the sprint lead and Pecco Bagnaia struggled for most of the weekend yet still came away with a sprint win and a grand prix podium, The Race Members' Club asked us what on earth is going on with this title fight and why the contenders seem so incapable of consistent results. They were far from the only riders in strife at Mandalika, though, and we also look into the many other reasons why only 12 bikes made the finish on Sunday. Yet more tyre pressure angst, VR46 proteges going too easy on each other and Yamaha's sort-of-progress also feature heavily. Want extra podcast content? Join The Race Members' Club on Patreon! Head to Patreon.com/therace to activate your 7-day free trial Follow The Race on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With Jorge Martin barged aside for the race win on the final lap and Pecco Bagnaia crashing out, the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix wasn't a great one for either of MotoGP's title contenders. Should Enea Bastianini's win have stood given the manner of his last-lap move on Martin? Simon Patterson, Megan White, Valentin Khourounzhiy and Matt Beer have some differing views on that in The Race MotoGP Podcast - as did The Race Members' Club, whose questions we answer in the episode as ever. Bagnaia's crash didn't actually peeve him as much as his weird pace fluctuations before it, but what was really going on there? We delve into that too. Want more MotoGP podcast content? Sign up to our motorbike-only Riders tier on Patreon for that episode, ad-free listening and more. Head to Patreon.com/therace Follow the Race Moto channel on Instagram and Twitter Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

MotoGP's 2024 title fight is still raging on, but its 2025 season is beginning to take shape in the background - with several important developments occurring between the two Misano rounds. A positive test for a prototype new Michelin front tyre hints at a '25 introduction that would have wide-ranging consequences - including, crucially, an apparent big boost to Pecco Bagnaia, the new tyre's biggest fan of the grid. But why is Bagnaia so enamoured with it, who else is keen - and does it offer a sudden MotoGP pathway for World Superbike dominator Toprak Razgatlioglu? Plus, we discuss what factories ran in that same Misano test - and why there's talk of an impending engine freeze. Finally, we talk about MotoGP's plans for gradual implementation of in-race radio after the latest trial. Want more MotoGP podcast content? Sign up to our motorbike-only Riders tier on Patreon for that episode, ad-free listening and more. Head to Patreon.com/therace Follow the Race Moto channel on Instagram and Twitter Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Will Jorge Martin's disastrous pit decision in the San Marino Grand Prix prove decisive in the 2024 MotoGP world championship fight? At least one member of The Race MotoGP Podcast panel reckons so. Simon Patterson, Valentin Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer debate all the events of Misano from Martin's championship-lead-slashing tyre choice blunder to the implications of Marc Marquez's win for his 2024 and 2025 seasons - and for perceptions of Pecco Bagnaia. The end of the Repsol Honda era being announced on a day when there weren't even any Repsol Hondas on the grid plus Yamaha's subtle rise are also discussed as we answer plenty of questions from The Race Members' Club too. Want more MotoGP podcast content? Sign up to our motorbike-only Riders tier on Patreon for that episode, ad-free listening and more. Head to Patreon.com/therace Follow the Race Moto channel on Instagram and Twitter Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Marc Marquez is finally a MotoGP race winner again, but his utter domination of the Aragon Grand Prix weekend was slightly overshadowed by his brother Alex taking out erstwhile championship leader Pecco Bagnaia in a frightening crash. And that frightening crash split opinions in the paddock and prompted some new conspiracy theories, which Simon Patterson, Val Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer dig into on The Race MotoGP Podcast. Marc Marquez's win, how he suddenly became so fast again and what it means for his 2025 partnership with Bagnaia in the works Ducati team, are all debated too, plus whether a sensible Jorge Martin is more worrying for his rivals than the old Martin even if he's not quite as fast right now, and why Bagnaia's weekend was so bad even before the Marquez crash. Want more MotoGP podcast content? Sign up to our motorbike-only Riders tier on Patreon for that episode, ad-free listening and more. Head to Patreon.com/therace Follow the Race Moto channel on Instagram and Twitter Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With Ducati monopolising the wins and even the podium finishes so emphatically at present, The Race MotoGP Podcast throws the spotlight on the rest of the field this week. Simon Patterson and Val Khorounzhiy are tasked by Matt Beer with creating a top six ranking of the best non-Ducati riders of the 2024 season so far. Who's overcoming their equipment disadvantage most impressively, who probably should be doing a bit better even though they don't have a Ducati, and how are the riders stuck on Yamahas and Hondas actually doing? We debate all that plus how the riders at struggling manufacturers feel about their career choices and when the underdogs we're celebrating might win again. Want more MotoGP podcast content? Sign up to our motorbike-only Riders tier on Patreon for that episode, ad-free listening and more. Head to Patreon.com/therace Follow the Race Moto channel on Instagram and Twitter Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A less-than-thrilling Austrian Grand Prix meant plenty of interest in off-track MotoGP matters at the Red Bull Ring as the final pieces of the 2025 line-up jigsaw slotted into place. The reasons for Jack Miller, Miguel Oliveira, Ai Ogura and Somkiat Chantra's recently confirmed or now near-certain new deals prompted several strong questions from The Race Members' Club for Simon Patterson, Val Khorounzhiy, Megan White and Matt Beer to tackle on The Race MotoGP Podcast. The lack of excitement on track at the Red Bull Ring, whether Marc Marquez is excelling on an outdated bike or throwing away chances, and Pedro Acosta's awful weekend are also delved into. Want more MotoGP podcast content? Sign up to our motorbike-only Riders tier on Patreon for that episode, ad-free listening and more. Head to Patreon.com/therace Follow the Race Moto channel on Instagram and Twitter Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fresh from returning to MotoGP as Yamaha's stand-in rider, Remy Gardner is our special guest on this week's episode of The Race MotoGP Podcast. The 2021 Moto2 champion is characteristically open about how long his single MotoGP season with KTM brought him and offers plenty of insight into switching between World Superbikes and MotoGP with Yamaha in 2024. He also shares his thoughts on the impact good friend Pedro Acosta is making in his old MotoGP team Tech3, while answering a host of questions from The Race Members' Club. And there's an extract from our behind the scenes Silverstone special that ran in MotoGP Extra on the Members' Club, plus Simon Patterson gives his take on Toprak Razgatlioglu's astonishing World Superbike season and why he's not in MotoGP, plus the quality of racing in both WSBK and its all-female support series WorldWCR. Want more MotoGP podcast content? Sign up to our motorbike-only Riders tier on Patreon for that episode, ad-free listening and more. Head to Patreon.com/therace Follow the Race Moto channel on Instagram and Twitter Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Just when some people thought it was all over and Pecco Bagnaia was going to cruise to the 2024 MotoGP world championship, the British Grand Prix rewrote the script again. Bagnaia's sprint crash and a very sensible weekend from Jorge Martin mean a new championship leader and has Enea Bastianini's double win now made this a three-way fight? And is it problematic for Ducati that two of those three are leaving it after 2024? Simon Patterson, Valentin Khorounzhiy, Megan White and Matt Beer debate all that in this week's episode of The Race MotoGP Podcast. And they and Oliver Card - fresh from a behind-the-scenes Silverstone trip for a special episode of MotoGP Extra for The Race Members' Club - discuss another disappointing Silverstone MotoGP turnout and why an event that has so much going for it just isn't getting anywhere near Formula 1's British GP numbers. Want more MotoGP podcast content? Sign up to our motorbike-only Riders tier on Patreon for that episode, ad-free listening and more. Head to Patreon.com/therace Follow the Race Moto channel on Instagram and Twitter Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Race MotoGP Podcast is always fond of a provocative prediction, so naturally with the season about to resume for its second half at the British Grand Prix this weekend, Matt Beer tasks Simon Patterson, Valentin Khorounzhiy and wildcard guest Lewis Duncan with making some about everything that might happen on track in the rest of the season. Our panel have very different takes on how the title fight between Pecco Bagnaia and Jorge Martin might play out from here, but the disagreement gets even more vehement when it comes to Yamaha's chances of success over the rest of 2024. What Pedro Acosta, Brad Binder and the resurgent Franco Morbidelli might achieve between now and the final also prompts plenty of debate. Want more MotoGP podcast content? Sign up to our motorbike-only Riders tier on Patreon for that episode, ad-free listening and more. Head to Patreon.com/therace Follow the Race Moto channel on Instagram and Twitter Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the 2025 MotoGP rider market reaches its final stages, The Race MotoGP Podcast looks at who might be ousted from the field after 2024 and who's likely to replace them. We know Aleix Espargaro is retiring and Ducati's committed to bringing Fermin Aldeguer up from MotoGP, but what other departures and debuts are on the cards? Simon Patterson and Matt Beer are joining by wildcard pundit Lewis Duncan to debate all that, with a particular focus on what'll come out of Trackhouse next as two grand prix winners fight over its second seat alongside someone the podcast panel are VERY split over. And there's also an excerpt from our members-only MotoGP Extra special on the WorldWCR all-female series, which is coming soon. Want more MotoGP podcast content? Sign up to our motorbike-only Riders tier on Patreon for that episode, ad-free listening and more. Head to Patreon.com/therace Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aprilia boss Massimo Rivola joins The Race MotoGP Podcast for a special summer break episode. As part of an extensive chat, Rivola discusses Aprilia's signing of Jorge Martin and Marco Bezzecchi and some of the alternatives that were considered, the exits of Aleix Espargaro and Maverick Vinales and the line-up questions facing the satellite Trackhouse team. Afterwards, there is an extensive discussion between podcast regulars Matt Beer, Simon Patterson and Valentin Khorounzhiy over whether Bezzecchi deserved the nod over the likes of Enea Bastianini and Fabio Di Giannantonio, how Miguel Oliveira and Raul Fernandez compare and whether Aprilia is living up to expectations or not. Rivola also tackled a varied selection of questions from The Race Members Club for a forthcoming bonus episode. Sign up to the motorbike-only Riders tier on Patreon for that episode, ad-free listening and more. Head to Patreon.com/therace Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Just when Jorge Martin looked set to regain the 2024 MotoGP world championship fight momentum, his crash from the lead with just two laps of the German Grand Prix to go changed everything (again). Simon Patterson, Valentin Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer give their takes on why it happened, the repercussions for the title battle and whether Martin will ever change in The Race MotoGP Podcast. Last week we thought we really might be talking about Marc Marquez's first Gresini Ducati win at the Sachsenring but his weekend turned out very differently. We have plenty to say about that - and so did The Race Members' Club, whose questions now feature in all our post-race episodes. The Race Members' Club now features MotoGP content and a motorbike-only Riders tier on Patreon - offering exclusive bonus podcasts each month, ad-free episodes from our main series and the chance to have your questions answered on our post-race episodes. Head to Patreon.com/therace Follow the Race Moto channel on Instagram and Twitter Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With Pecco Bagnaia now right on Jorge Martin's tail in the MotoGP championship fight and the shadow of both Martin and Pramac's Ducati exits hanging over the rest of the season, is the 2024 title battle only going one way? That's what Simon Patterson, guest pundit Megan White and Matt Beer debate on the Dutch TT episode of The Race MotoGP Podcast - with a few interjections from Valentin Khorounzhiy from somewhere in the Styrian hills. They also discuss the huge news of Lewis Hamilton's potential arrival in MotoGP as a team owner and Marc Marquez's weird weekend - which included the return of tyre pressure penalties. That penalty system is one of many topics we're quizzed about by The Race Members' Club via Patreon as part of our new MotoGP coverage strand there. The Race Members' Club now features MotoGP content and a motorbike-only Riders tier on Patreon - offering exclusive bonus podcasts each month, ad-free episodes from our main series and the chance to have your questions answered on our post-race episodes. Head to Patreon.com/therace Follow the Race Moto channel on Instagram and Twitter Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After Ducati and KTM, it's now Aprilia that can claim it's put together a 2025 MotoGP superteam after securing Marco Bezzecchi alongside Jorge Martin in its all-new factory line-up. But as Simon Patterson, Valentin Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer debate on The Race MotoGP Podcast, while signing the second and third placed riders from the 2023 world championship looks great on paper, there are definite question marks around whether this is all going to work. We also examine all the repercussions elsewhere in the field, from what happens at Aprilia satellite team Trackhouse - whose riders get very different responses from Aprilia boss Massimo Rivola - to whether the exodus of strong satellite riders from Ducati marks a significant end of an era and also why on earth it seems Joan Mir might want to prolong his Honda stint. And the World Superbike Championship has entered the MotoGP rider market in earnest too. Are we going to see Toprak Razgatlioglu or even Andrea Iannone on the 2025 MotoGP grid? And if so, where and how would it go? We give our takes on all of that too. The Race Members' Club now features MotoGP content and a motorbike-only Riders tier on Patreon - offering exclusive bonus podcasts each month, ad-free episodes from our main series and the chance to have your questions answered on our post-race episodes. Head to Patreon.com/therace Follow the Race Moto channel on Instagram and Twitter Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It was KTM's turn to rock the MotoGP rider market this week as it announced current Ducati and Aprilia factory riders Enea Bastianini and Maverick Vinales would join its satellite team Tech3 Gas Gas for 2025. With Pedro Acosta and Brad Binder already set for the works squad, that gives KTM an extremely strong line-up to take on Ducati with next year. Or does it? Simon Patterson and Valentin Khorounzhiy have very different views on how Vinales in particular will fare at KTM as they join Matt Beer to discuss it all on The Race MotoGP Podcast. What happens next for ousted KTM pair Jack Miller and Augusto Fernandez, and who Aprilia signs to replace Vinales are also hot topics. And we delve into everything that's happening around the rest of the Ducati line-up too, where it's not just riders moving around but teams too. Joan Mir's efforts to escape Honda and top Moto2 riders' hopes of reaching MotoGP for 2025 are assessed as well, and we also reveal what we'll be up to in the new MotoGP section on The Race Members' Club, which is now available on Patreon too. Want extra MotoGP podcast content? Join The Race Members' Club on Patreon where we have an exclusive two-wheeled Riders tier. Head to Patreon.com/therace Follow the Race Moto channel on Instagram and Twitter Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Just when it seemed Ducati's 2025 MotoGP factory line-up plan was set, it was abruptly turned inside out. Now Marc Marquez is heading for a works seat and championship leader Jorge Martin is heading into the arms of Aprilia. Simon Patterson, Valentin Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer gather for an emergency extra episode of The Race MotoGP Podcast to explain what changed and why it happened so quickly, with Simon reliving how the news spread through the paddock at Mugello testing and just how fast Aprilia moved to get its man once it knew it had chance. We share your takes on what's happened and questions about the repercussions of it, covering everything from how Marquez and Pecco Bagnaia will work together (or not) in the factory Ducati team to whether Aprilia is going to live up to Martin's demands and expectations, plus all the other repercussions around Pramac, Enea Bastianini and Maverick Vinales' futures. Follow the Race Moto channel on Instagram and Twitter Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/therace Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pecco Bagnaia's double win at Mugello was a huge boost to his 2024 MotoGP championship bid. And as Simon Patterson reports from the scene as he joins Valentin Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer for The Race MotoGP Podcast, it was greeted by a more passionate crowd than the Italian Grand Prix has enjoyed in Mugello's barren years since home idol Valentino Rossi retired. So as well as discussing the impact of Bagnaia's win on his title bid, we also delve into what it all means for Italy, MotoGP and Rossi's legacy. Was Jorge Martin's combination of crash and last-lap position loss a sign of him returning to old bad habits or proof he can actually calmly sustain a title bid even on a bad weekend? And how big an equipment disadvantage is Marc Marquez up against and is he holding Ducati to ransom over 2025 or just innocently focusing on what's best for him? We debate those topics, compare Pedro Acosta to Thanos from the Marvel movies and Val wrecks his house while discussing stewarding and penalties - but his rage isn't the for the reason you might expect. Follow the Race Moto channel on Instagram and Twitter Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/therace Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pecco Bagnaia went from a bizarre final lap crash while leading MotoGP's Catalan Grand Prix sprint to pulling off a very intelligent Sunday race win that keeps things poised in the title fight. But he was just one of three riders to crash from the sprint lead - all for different reasons. And with Bagnaia, championship leader Jorge Martin and Marc Marquez finding ways to all take nearly identical points hauls from Barcelona despite having wildly contrasting weekends, this strange event gives Simon Patterson, Valentin Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer plenty to delve into on The Race MotoGP Podcast. That includes the latest round of 2025 rider market talk, with Aleix Espargaro's retirement announcement - and surprise likely next move - kicking things off, new talk of how Ducati might resolve its Martin/Marquez factory seat debate emerging and some very leftfield moves appearing in paddock speculation. Throw in Enea Bastianini protesting the stewards by ignoring their penalties and Val and Simon having a passionate argument over Yamaha's form, and there's plenty packed into the episode. Follow the Race Moto channel on Instagram and Twitter Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We debate YOUR suggestions for what to change about MotoGP in the latest episode of The Race MotoGP Podcast. And we've never had such a huge influx of listener input when we've done a callout for questions or suggestions. With the 2027 rules freshly announced and plenty in the paddock making suggestions for what they think could be better about MotoGP regulations, organisation, officiating or promotion, your ideas covered everything from rules preventing riders remounting after crashes to MotoGP test chances for Moto2 stars to race format rejigs and electronic active suspension. All that, and much more, is debated by Simon Patterson, Valentin Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer. Follow the Race Moto channel on Instagram and Twitter Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

MotoGP 2024's 'big three' Jorge Martin, Pecco Bagnaia and Marc Marquez produced an absolutely epic French Grand Prix weekend at Le Mans between them. But which of them looks most like the 2024 champion, and are two of them set to be 2025 team-mates? Simon Patterson, Valentin Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer delve into both elements of that situation in The Race MotoGP Podcast, assessing what Le Mans told us about the trio's various strengths in the title fight and the varied scenarios around who Ducati will place where in 2025. The future of championship leader Martin's Pramac team is another key element of that jigsaw that's discussed. KTM's enormous reliance on Pedro Acosta, the prospect of Acosta and Martin as team-mates and Aprilia's place in both the title fight and the rider market are also delved into. Plus Simon gives his take on the incredible French GP crowd experience and how their heroes Fabio Quartararo and Johann Zarco tackled coming to their home race on uncompetitive bikes. Don't forget in the next episode we'll be debating YOUR ideas for how to improve MotoGP. Send them in written or voice note form to podcasts@the-race.com or contact us via our MotoGP social media channels @theracemoto on X or Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

MotoGP has unveiled its new rules for 2027, with some of the current bikes' most controversial elements outlawed and others pegged back. But has it all gone far enough and are these the right moves for the world championship? Simon Patterson gives his initial take on the changes to engine capacity, aero allowance and concessions, plus the ban on ride-height devices, in a bumper episode of The Race MotoGP Podcast. Plus Matt Beer invites Simon and Valentin Khorounzhiy to suggest the changes they'd each like to see - whether in the regulations, presentation or marketing of MotoGP. And now we'd like to hear your suggestions too. Email your ideas for MotoGP changes to podcasts@the-race.com in written or voice note form, or via our MotoGP social accounts @theracemoto on X or Instagram and we'll share them - and give our takes - on a future episode. Follow the new Race Moto channel on Instagram and Twitter Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ever since Marc Marquez get himself a Ducati, the MotoGP world has been waiting eagerly to see a head-to-head victory fight between him and reigning champion Pecco Bagnaia. That's exactly what the Spanish Grand Prix became - and it was absolutely worth all the anticipation. Does Bagnaia's defeat of Marquez show Ducati's current number one has his famous new stablemate covered? Or does the fact Marquez is so quick on a Ducati (and an old-spec one at that) already show Bagnaia will need to raise his game? That's one of the big debates between Simon Patterson, Valentin Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer on The Race MotoGP Podcast, along with what championship leader Jorge Martin should be thinking about it all after crashing out of the race lead. The 15-crash madness of the Jerez sprint and an extraordinary stewards' office rant by Johann Zarco also feature. Follow the new Race Moto channel on Instagram and Twitter Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

MotoGP begins the European leg of its 2024 season at Jerez this weekend, and that's often when the championship takes on its defining shape. But several riders arrive in Spain fighting for their future and several teams fighting to salvage their season already. On this week's episode of The Race MotoGP Podcast, Matt Beer invites Simon Patterson and Valentin Khorounzhiy to nominate the riders or teams they think are in most trouble after the opening three rounds - and to assess the extent of their plight on a 1 to 5 ranking where 1 equals 'will be fine by Mugello in June' and 5 equals 'may as well write the rest of 2024 off'. Join The Race Members Club and have a free month on us! Click here to sign up Follow the new Race Moto channel on Instagram and Twitter Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Have we been wrong about Maverick Vinales all along? The man with the reputation for going backwards in MotoGP races won from 11th place at Austin with a supreme performance in an absolutely epic race. Regular Vinales defender Valentin Khorounzhiy and regular Vinales sceptics Simon Patterson and Matt Beer therefore have plenty to debate in The Race MotoGP Podcast as they assess what Vinales achieved in the Grand Prix of the Americas, why it hasn't happened more often and whether it can keep on happening. What Marc Marquez's season looks like from here after a crash from the lead that leaves him a distant eighth in the championship, what Pedro Acosta's latest insanely good performance means for not just the other KTMs but everyone else on the grid, Jorge Martin's title credentials and Pecco Bagnaia's odd lack of form are also delved into. And does a race like Austin's Sunday event show modern MotoGP isn't as bad as aero critics and detractors suggest?  Join The Race Members Club and have a free month on us! Click here to sign up Follow the new Race Moto channel on Instagram and Twitter Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Has Fabio Quartararo made the right decision by keeping faith with Yamaha for his MotoGP future despite all the frustrations he's endured? Is this just a case of the money being too good to turn down or is Yamaha definitely a better prospect than Aprilia for the next phase of the 2021 world champion's career? That's what Simon Patterson, Valentin Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer debate in part one of the latest episode of The Race MotoGP Podcast. But that's only half the episode, as we also have an exclusive interview with MotoGP sporting director Carlos Ezpeleta about the championship's future and upcoming new rules era. Join The Race Members Club and have a free month on us! Click here to sign up Follow the new Race Moto channel on Instagram and Twitter Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Davide Brivio - architect of Yamaha's Valentino Rossi glory years and Suzuki' shock 2020 title - is back in MotoGP after his truncated Formula 1 detour, but he's not in the part of the field you might expect. In an exclusive chat with The Race MotoGP Podcast, Brivio explains why he picked newcomer Trackhouse Racing for his return to the motorcycle racing world, and what he hopes this NASCAR-to-MotoGP wildcard can achieve in both 2024 and beyond. And he also opens up for the first time on exactly why he thinks his switch to F1 with Alpine didn't work out. Join The Race Members Club and have a free month on us! Click here to sign up Follow the new Race Moto channel on Instagram and Twitter Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Should motorcycle racing fans be delighted or worried that a deal's in place for Formula 1 owner Liberty Media to buy MotoGP promoter Dorna? In an extra episode, the Race MotoGP Podcast delves into what the Liberty news mean for MotoGP, as Simon Patterson, Valentin Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer look at what it's likely to mean in terms of practical reality, and address some of the concerns motorcycle fans might have based on some the F1 world's least positive impressions of Liberty. They also outline what they want to see from the new ownership, and explain why Liberty is confident this deal can go ahead despite the fact that the last time MotoGP and F1 nearly came under the same ownership the process rapidly turned into MotoGP being sold off. Join The Race Members Club and have a free month on us! Click here to sign up Follow the new Race Moto channel on Instagram and Twitter Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The first big flashpoint of Marc Marquez's Ducati career came in just his second MotoGP race weekend with his new employer, as he and reigning champion stablemate Pecco Bagnaia collided in the Portuguese Grand Prix. Who was most at fault? And what does it mean for the title fight and Ducati internal relations? Simon Patterson, Valentin Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer debate that in The Race MotoGP Podcast. We also get into Pedro Acosta's incredible podium in only his second MotoGP race weekend. Are his performances more impressive than even Marquez's (eventually title winning) rookie season? One of our panel reckons so. Maverick Vinales' breakthrough win and weird grand prix exit, whether sprint wins really count, Jorge Martin's new maturity and title chance and Ducati's growing 2025 rider headache also feature. Join The Race Members Club and have a free month on us! Click here to sign up Follow the new Race Moto channel on Instagram and Twitter Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're answering your questions on The Race MotoGP Podcast this week, including on the prospect of mid-season rider changes at two teams in particular. Might KTM want Pedro Acosta in its factory line-up sooner rather than later, and if his Tech3 team-mate Augusto Fernandez's struggles continue is there a danger of him not seeing out the season? Simon Patterson, Valentin Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer tackle those plus questions on whether a rotation system could be used to trim the calendar, how Moto2's Pirelli switch has changed the series and whether it's a good or bad thing, MotoGP's next-generation regulations and how we'd define 'natural talent' in motorcycle racers.  And with a major piece of rider market news having broken with the announcement that Ducati is definitely promoting Fermin Aldeguer into MotoGP 2025, we also explain why Ducati has so much faith in the Spanish teenager and why it can't yet say which of its teams he'll be riding for. Click here to take our quick survey about your podcast habits and you could win £/$100 worth of Amazon vouchers Join The Race Members Club and have a free month on us! Click here to sign up Follow the new Race Moto channel on Instagram and Twitter Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pecco Bagnaia showed exactly what he's a double MotoGP world champion by controlling the Qatar Grand Prix despite a slightly shaky qualifying and sprint. But will this race really be remembered for the debut of another champion? Though it only resulted in ninth place in the end, Pedro Acosta's swashbuckling style on and off the track made a huge impression on The Race MotoGP Podcast panel Simon Patterson, Valentin Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer - who debate how long it'll take Acosta to win races, and whether KTM can wait to get him into its main team. KTM and Aprilia's chances of challenging Ducati this year, how Marc Marquez's title prospects look after his Ducati race debut, and miserable weekends for a 2023 title contender and fallen giants Honda and Yamaha also come in for plenty of discussion. Join The Race Members Club and have a free month on us! Click here to sign up Follow the new Race Moto channel on Instagram and Twitter Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Marc Marquez's move to Gresini Ducati is a huge curveball for the 2024 MotoGP season, but will he actually be a title contender? Or will this be a repeat of last year's epic Pecco Bagnaia versus Jorge Martin battle? And either way, who'll come out on top? The Race MotoGP Podcast gathers Simon Patterson, Valentin Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer to predict the 2024 championship order - and argue over each other's choices. As well as plenty of debate about Marquez, Bagnaia and Martin, we also discuss whether how far up the title fight pecking order Enea Bastianini's winter progress might take him, and why Marco Bezzecchi seems set for a much tougher season. There's also plenty of chat about who's best placed among the non-Ducatis - and who we really don't expect to get anywhere near the top championship placings. Join The Race's GridRival league and you could win $5000. Free to join. Free to play. Click here to sign up. FEBRUARY IS FREE! Join The Race Members Club and have a free month on us! Click here to sign up Follow The Race on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With 18 of the 22 riders on the grid out of contract at the end of the year, multiple past champions either unhappy with their current machinery or clearly in stopgap mode with their 2024 teams, and uncertainty over which brand some satellite teams will actually be with next season and what that'll mean for their line-ups, the 2025 MotoGP rider market is set to be a wild one. But can The Race MotoGP Podcast accurately predict how it will turn out. Simon Patterson and Val Khorounzhiy pitch their cases for Matt Beer to adjudicate on as our panel attempt to improve on the 50% success rate they had last time they tried to predict a full grid rider line-up a whole year in advance. Who'll be on the move? Who'll reluctantly sit tight due to a lack of options? Who's heading out of MotoGP, and who's usurping them from the grid? How much will Simon and Val disagree on? Listen to find out. FEBRUARY IS FREE! Join The Race Members Club and have a free month on us! Click here to sign up Follow The Race on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Reigning double MotoGP world champion Pecco Bagnaia ended 2024 pre-season testing with a ferocious burst of pace in Qatar that makes him an instant strong favourite for the opening round there next month and the title itself. But while Bagnaia has the edge and bags of confidence right now, he's far from the only rider looking strong at the end of the winter, as Simon Patterson, Val Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer discuss on the Qatar test episode of The Race MotoGP Podcast. We look at the off-season transformation of Bagnaia's team-mate Enea Bastianini, the test form of last year's runner-up Jorge Martin and of course Ducati's superstar new signing Marc Marquez - who also answers a few of your questions in this episode. And we assess who has the best chance of barging into the potential Ducati 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 formation, and analyse whether Yamaha and Honda are actually making any progress yet. FEBRUARY IS FREE! Join The Race Members Club and have a free month on us! Click here to sign up Follow The Race on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Six-time MotoGP champion Marc Marquez joins The Race MotoGP Podcast for an exclusive interview less than three weeks before his competitive debut on the Ducati. In a candid chat with MotoGP writer Simon Patterson, Marquez discusses the short-term ambitions of his Gresini Ducati move and how everything about it is being influenced by his keen awareness of the inexorable march of time. He sets out his targets for 2024 and emphasises the impact of his injuries on the competitive picture, while also giving his assessment of Honda's MotoGP developments since their split. Finally, he gives his expectations for how the 2025 silly season will go for him. FEBRUARY IS FREE! Join The Race Members Club and have a free month on us! Click here to sign up Follow The Race on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With one MotoGP pre-season test down and one to go, several riders go into next week's final two days of running in Qatar with significant problems to solve. And those problems have implications beyond the season-opening Qatar Grand Prix and even the 2024 campaign too, given how wild this year's rider market is set to be. Simon Patterson, Valentin Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer look at who's under pressure and how that pressure is multiplied by the moves teams will already be making towards their 2025 line-ups in a year when only four of the 22 riders on the grid have a contract for next season sorted. Those 2025 prospects weigh on everything in MotoGP at the moment, with even Honda's launch of its strikingly Repsol-light new livery turning into chat about whether Marc Marquez will be back there as early as next year. Speaking of Marc Marquez... he will be our very, very special guest for an exclusive interview on the next episode of The Race MotoGP Podcast, and we'll put some of your questions to him. Send them to podcasts@the-race.com and we'll pick a selection of the best to fit into Simon's one-on-one with the seven-time MotoGP champion later this week. FEBRUARY IS FREE! Join The Race Members Club and have a free month on us! Click here to sign up Follow The Race on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Between Marc Marquez beginning life at Gresini Ducati properly, the massive changes many manufacturers were planning over the winter and the hints of something from Ducati that would change the aero game, the first 2024 pre-season MotoGP test was very eagerly awaited. Simon Patterson joins Valentin Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer on The Race MotoGP Podcast from Kuala Lumpur airport for an urgent dissection of everything we learned from three days of lap record smashing running at Sepang. Marquez's mood after a shaky first day, shifts in the Ducati power balance and some contrasting impressions of Yamaha and Honda's progress are among the many, many topics discussed. And when it comes to picking out a standout performer from the test, we get very excited about the 'next Marquez' - sole 2024 MotoGP rookie Pedro Acosta. Follow The Race on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Click here to join The Race Members' Club Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Marc Marquez's move from Honda to Gresini Ducati means a change of crew chief for the first time in his whole MotoGP career - and we've got his new crew chief Frankie Carchedi with us on The Race MotoGP Podcast for an exclusive chat. Carchedi talks Simon Patterson and Valentin Khorounzhiy through his experience of working with Marquez so far and his feelings about being at the centre of the biggest MotoGP rider move in years. And he also offers plenty of unique insight into MotoGP crew chief life and methods. Follow The Race on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Click here to join The Race Members' Club Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After making very rapid waves in NASCAR, Trackhouse Racing enters a very different world in 2024 as it joins the MotoGP grid as Aprilia's new satellite team. Trackhouse chief Justin Marks joined The Race MotoGP Podcast for an exclusive chat about the creation of his team's first motorcycle racing project ahead of its launch event in Los Angeles last Friday night, opening up about what drew him to MotoGP and what he expects his team to achieve in its earlier-than-planned debut season. And Marks gave our regular panel Simon Patterson, Valentin Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer plenty to talk about, from where Trackhouse fits into MotoGP's plan to get itself back on the USA's radar to whether the team's 2024 riders Miguel Oliveira and Raul Fernandez are just going to be inherited stopgaps rather than parts of what's clearly a long-term project. Follow The Race on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Click here to join The Race Members' Club Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As 2024 MotoGP launch season gets into full swing, The Race MotoGP Podcast joins Simon Patterson on his Italian road trip from Gresini to VR46 via a four-day Ducati extravaganza. He keeps Matt Beer and Valentin Khorounzhiy posted as he follows up attending Marc Marquez's debut in Ducati colours with a factory Ducati team launch where the main revelation was news of an aero change too significant to risk revealing before testing. We explain why Ducati - for all its domination - is potentially vulnerable around aero development, despite pioneering wings on MotoGP bikes in the 2010s. As for Valentino Rossi's new-liveried team, we ponder the early dynamic surrounding new signing Fabio Di Giannantonio and whether the 2023-spec Ducatis can really keep up with their factory-spec brethren. We also discuss the off-the-record element of major launch events and how useful they can be for relationships with riders, plus Ducati's attempt to transfer its MotoGP and World Superbike domination to motocross. Follow The Race on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Click here to join The Race Members' Club Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The MotoGP world finally got to see Marc Marquez in something other than Repsol Honda colours and Marquez finally got to share his thoughts on riding a Ducati when his new team Gresini held its 2024 launch on Saturday night. Simon Patterson dived straight from the Italian disco venue to join Matt Beer and Valentin Khorounzhiy on The Race MotoGP Podcast so he could report back on the mood at an event unlike any other satellite team launch MotoGP has experienced before. They discuss Marquez's reports on the bike and his expectations, hear exclusively from his new crew chief Frankie Carchedi, and explain why Gresini's livery looks exactly like last year's even though you might've expected an influx of new sponsors to arrive with Marquez. Follow The Race on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Click here to join The Race Members' Club Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

MotoGP could finally shake off its Valentino Rossi hangover in 2024 as Marc Marquez's team switch creates huge sporting intrigue in a championship that's already just experienced its best title fight in years. But while interest in MotoGP is clearly rising right now, is it accessible enough to new fans and can it keep them hooked? Are its approaches to television and streaming right for this era? Is the fan experience at races good enough? The Race MotoGP Podcast put your questions on all of this to Dorna's chief commercial officer Dan Rossomondo, and we debate his answers and everything else off-track MotoGP with our regular panel Simon Patterson, Valentin Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer plus The Race Media's creative lead Oliver Card - a recent MotoGP convert of exactly the kind Dorna needs to entice and keep on board. Follow The Race on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Click here to join The Race Members' Club Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week's episode, host Toby Moody sits down for an in-depth chat with a MotoGP legend: Sito Pons. A familiar face in the MotoGP paddock for more than 40 years, the Spaniard has achieved nearly everything possible in Grand Prix racing, winning the 205cc world title twice, managing a race-winning premier class team, working with some of the best riders in the sport's recent history, guiding Pol Espargaro to the 2013 Moto2 championship, and much more. Listen in as he discusses his incredible career - and why he's now chosen to step back from running a team. Follow The Race on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Click here to join The Race Members' Club Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Race MotoGP Podcast begins 2024 with some characteristically bold predictions for the MotoGP season ahead. Matt Beer tasks Simon Patterson and Valentin Khorounzhiy with some big picture topics - such as who'll do significantly better or worse than in 2023, whether Ducati will be more or less dominant, who'll be first to commit to a 2025 team switch. And they don't waste any chances to disagree with each other or challenge the premise of the question as they make their cases for why 2024 will turn out in the ways they expect. Follow The Race on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Click here to join The Race Members' Club Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 2023 MotoGP season had at least three realistic title contenders, 10 race winners if you count sprints too, eight polesitters (three of whom weren't even race winners), and 15 grand prix podium finishers. So picking and ranking the top 10 riders was not an easy task when Simon Patterson, Valentin Khorouzhiy, Matt Beer and guest pundit Glenn Freeman joined forces to do so on The Race MotoGP Podcast. Unsurprisingly there were some _very_ different positions suggested for many riders. Take a listen to the full debate in a bumper episode to round off our season. Follow The Race on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Click here to join The Race Members' Club Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We had far more questions than we could hope to fit in a single episode of The Race MotoGP Podcast when we asked what you still wanted answered about the 2023 season or 2024 prospects. Simon Patterson, Valentin Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer tackle the first batch in the latest episode, and they're headlined by some Ducati rider line-up intrigue - particularly around Franco Morbidelli and Enea Bastianini. A conspiracy theory around 2024 newcomer Trackhouse, the mysteries of Maverick Vinales and a theory for how to stop rider injuries deciding title fights are among the many other topics that feature. Follow The Race on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Click here to join The Race Members' Club Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A long chat with much-hyped MotoGP rookie Pedro Acosta headlines the first off-season episode of The Race MotoGP Podcast. Valentin Khorounzhiy is joined by Simon Patterson, who spoke to Acosta as well as MotoGP champion Pecco Bagnaia and Moto3 champion Jaume Masia during the FIM prize gala in Liverpool. In an extensive conversation, Acosta reflects on his first taste of KTM machinery in the premier class - which he is now very bullish about being a "nightmare" for its rivals in the not-too-distant future. The Moto2 champ also shares his infectious enthusiasm for MotoGP rivalries of old and gives his take on being talked about as 'the new Marc Marquez' in a paddock where "the guy who smiles at you isn't your friend sometimes". Meanwhile, Bagnaia looks back at the title decider he'd prevailed in - and sets the stage for 2024 after what he believes was a very encouraging post-season test. Finally, Masia talks about his swift-looking Moto2 adaptation and the erosion of the 'middle class' of riders in grand prix racing - while the podcast crew also discuss his much-debated Moto3 title triumph. Follow The Race on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Just two days after the 2023 MotoGP season ended, the 2024 MotoGP season began with a hugely eagerly anticipated Valencia test headlined by Marc Marquez jumping on a Ducati for the first time. Simon Patterson, Valentin Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer have plenty to say about just _how_ quick he was, what it means for the 2024 title fight and the Ducati dynamic in The Race MotoGP Podcast. But, ironically, the team Marquez had just walked away from had a hugely encouraging day too. Has Honda come good just a little too late? We delve into that plus Yamaha's latest efforts to get back towards the front, the MotoGP debut of Pedro 'the next Marquez' Acosta and some very big news about a rules package designed to bring Ducati back into its rivals' range. Follow The Race on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Simon Patterson joins Valentin Khorounzhiy to discuss the 2023 MotoGP season finale in Valencia, in which Pecco Bagnaia claimed his second successive championship crown as title rival Jorge Martin endured an incident-laden final Sunday of the year that ended in a collision with Marc Marquez. There's also news on the future of RNF Aprilia, whether Fabio Di Giannantonio will indeed be on the grid next year, and much more... Follow The Race on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Just when he seemed to have Pecco Bagnaia on the ropes once again following a hard-charging sprint win, Jorge Martin's terrible Sunday race leaves him back in title long-shot status with just the Valencia finale to go. Simon Patterson and Valentin Khorounzhiy join Matt Beer to explain exactly what went wrong for the furious Martin on The Race MotoGP Podcast, and make their predictions for how this epic season will finally be resolved next weekend. Bagnaia's Qatar GP could've been even better had he not been defeated in the victory fight by Fabio di Giannantonio - a man who pretty much no one would've tipped for a MotoGP race win just a few months ago, and who doesn't even look like he'll have a place on the 2024 MotoGP grid. We delve into the various rider market machinations that mean that's the case and try to plot some alternative scenarios that would get all the worthy riders in the field. And there's also plenty of debate about Aleix Espargaro and Franco Morbidelli's actions on and off track after their practice spat that dramatically spilled over. Follow The Race on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

MotoGP championship rivals Pecco Bagnaia and Jorge Martin went wheel to wheel again in the Malaysian Grand Prix, while also dodging other Ducatis, but the big theme of their weekend was tyre pressures and the potential for penalties over them. Are we at a point when the tyre pressure monitoring is going to decide the world title outcome while wrecking all the racing up to then and beyond? That's the worst-case scenario Simon Patterson, Valentin Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer consider on The Race MotoGP Podcast, as well as what can be done about it. How the title fight stands now, the spectacular resurgence of Enea Bastianini, a gung-ho Alex Marquez cameo and a sad MotoGP return for World Superbike steamroller Alvaro Bautista are also delved into. And as Honda's quest to find a 2024 Marc Marquez replacement takes yet another twist, we debate whether Luca Marini and Repsol Honda are right for each other, and what it means for everyone else who's been swept into this particular rider market saga. Follow The Race on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Vroom is the better way to buy and sell used cars, so head over to Vroom.com NOW Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With just three grands prix to go, only 13 points separate Pecco Bagnaia and Jorge Martin in a 2023 MotoGP world championship that just keeps delivering twists. Simon Patterson, Valentin Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer debate how the denouement might unfold in the latest episode of The Race MotoGP Podcast. Will Bagnaia and Martin keep it clean? Will it go down to the very last race? Can Ducati afford not to find a way to put Martin in its 2024 factory team line-up if he's world champion? Marc Marquez's prospects in his final races at Honda, the miserable but ultra-close Honda vs Yamaha fight to avoid being last in the manufacturers' championship, and the surprise new contender to fill Marquez's Honda seat in 2024 are also discussed - pretty vehemently in some cases. Follow The Race on Twitter to take part in The Race F1 Cup! Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 2023 MotoGP title fight got even more epic at the Thailand Grand Prix as Jorge Martin and Pecco Bagnaia (and interloper Brad Binder) produced the race of the season so far. Simon Patterson, Valentin Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer delve into how Martin emerged victorious, how Bagnaia limited the damage and the type of riders they are each evolving into as their championship battle progresses. How Binder nearly won on the bike that finished right at the back in all his stablemates' hands is also discussed, as is another weekend that showed both the best and worst of Marc Marquez. Follow The Race on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

MotoGP only managed one of its planned two races at the 2023 Australian Grand Prix, but the one that did happen was the best of the season so far. It was also a good candidate for being _the_ race where Jorge Martin blew his title bid. Was his choice of a soft tyre that collapsed on the final lap and dropped him from first to fifth arrogance, hubris or understandable? That's a key debate for Simon Patterson, Valentin Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer on The Race MotoGP Podcast. What happens next in the title fight now Pecco Bagnaia is 27 points clear is a hot topic too, and there's due appreciation for Johann Zarco on the weekend he finally gets a MotoGP race win - and finds out for sure that he's not going to get a factory Honda seat in 2024. The circumstances that led to the grand prix being moved to Saturday and the sprint not happening at all are of course analysed as well, along with some potential ideas for how that situation could be avoided in future seasons. Follow The Race on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 2023 MotoGP world championship battle flipped yet again during the Indonesian Grand Prix weekend, as Jorge Martin crashed out of a commanding GP race lead the day after his sprint race win had moved him to the head of the championship standings for the first time. That allowed Pecco Bagnaia to take the race win and retake the points lead. But should he feel triumphant given he did that from 13th on the grid, or just relieved at getting a gift given how much of a mess his weekend had looked up to that point across his Q1 exit and lack of sprint progress? That's one of the many debates Simon Patterson, Valentin Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer have on the Mandalika episode of The Race MotoGP Podcast. The latest element of the Marc Marquez 2024 move fallout is also discussed in depth, and this time the focus is on the curveball Honda's thrown by pursuing a pair of current Aprilia riders just when it seemed its solution to filling its Marquez gap was already under its nose. There's not a lot of agreement among our panellists on the wisdom of what seems to be unfolding there. Follow The Race on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We asked you what you wanted to know about Marc Marquez's Honda exit, Gresini Ducati move, wider MotoGP future and all the repercussions - and you had plenty of questions for us. So Simon Patterson, Valentin Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer attempt to answer them on The Race MotoGP Podcast. Was Alex Marquez's early move to the team his brother is now joining the start of a secret long-term plan? How will Gresini have to change to accomodate Marquez? Why does anyone actually want to go to Honda now? And is Marquez already committed to KTM for 2025 and is that bad news for Jack Miller? We tackle all that and more. And with the MotoGP 2023 news flow relentless at the moment, we also discuss KTM's decision to commit to Pedro Acosta and Augusto Fernandez as its 2024 Gas Gas line-up at the expense of Pol Espargaro. That's a saga it's fair to say our panel has not been impressed by. News of outside title contender Marco Bezzecchi's ill-timed injury also features. Follow The Race on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's actually happening: Marc Marquez is leaving Honda and will soon be announced as a 2024 Gresini Ducati MotoGP rider. The greatest rider of his era, walking out of a legendary and once-dominant team mid-contract to join what is currently Ducati's lowest-priority team to ride a year-old bike. Simon Patterson, Valentin Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer debate everything that has happened to lead to this seismic moment on an extra episode of The Race MotoGP Podcast - and the seeds of it go back further than you might realise. As well as reliving all that's gone wrong at Honda, we also look forward to how Marquez's Ducati future might look. Is Cal Crutchlow right to predict immediate MotoGP domination? And how will Ducati's existing library of star riders handle Marquez arriving in their midst? We also make no secret of our excitement over what this move means for MotoGP's future, make some predictions for what Honda's future looks like (including a punt both for when Joan Mir might win a title for it and when Marquez might return!) and reveal the consequences of Honda's announcement for Simon's dog and Val's shopping. Follow The Race on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Any lingering doubts about the 2023 MotoGP world championship fight were erased over an ultra-tense Japanese Grand Prix weekend that ended with Pecco Bagnaia's lead over Jorge Martin down to just three points. And this wasn't because of some calamity for Bagnaia, but a pair of straight-fight defeats in close competition across wildly varying weather conditions. So as Simon Patterson, Valentin Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer debate on The Race MotoGP Podcast, we really do have a proper head to head title fight coming up over the remaining six rounds. As well as how both protagonists rode at Motegi, our panel discuss whether it's really sustainable for Martin's team Pramac to keep this up given its satellite status and what Ducati might do with its 2024 rider line-up if Martin actually beats Bagnaia to the title. Speaking of 2024 Ducati riders, the latest developments and rumours over Marc Marquez's future get plenty of airtime. There's also analysis of what could've been a very significant weekend for KTM's prospect, while also producing yet more discord over it's five-into-four 2024 rider dilemma. Follow The Race on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Just when it seemed he'd limited the championship damage caused by his terrifying Barcelona crash, defending champion Pecco Bagnaia threw the title race open again with a massive error in the inaugural Indian Grand Prix. Simon Patterson, Valentin Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer debate how costly that might be on The Race MotoGP Podcast. Might this be a mistake too far for Bagnaia, given Marco Bezzecchi and Jorge Martin's growing form and confidence? There had been plenty of uncertainty about MotoGP's first visit to India all season, and Simon has a lot of tales to share about the fraught process of getting there and some of the quirks of the weekend (from striking marshals to monkeys in the pits) but is also convinced the Buddh race can actually become a MotoGP season highlight. We also discuss a surprise return to form for three past champions and the latest twists in the Marc Marquez 2024 ride saga as it goes into its potential crunch week. Follow The Race on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In our latest edition of 'Toby Talks To', host Toby Moody sits down for a chat with Carlos Checa, a rider who raced in 125s, 250s and 500s as the top class morphed into the category we know as MotoGP in 2002. The popular Spaniard opens up on the highs and lows of his career, including his two 500cc Grand Prix victories for Honda on home soil at Barcelona and Jarama, and the Superbike world title he claimed after moving on from MotoGP. He also discusses what it was like to be team mates with Valentino Rossi, and gives his opinion on countryman Marc Marquez's current plight with Honda - including his view on what he should do next... Follow The Race on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Marc Marquez dominated yet another MotoGP weekend in off-track terms as he swept the paddock into a 'will he/won't he?'' frenzy at Misano with four days of speculation over whether he was about to break his factory Honda contract to join brother Alex on one of Gresini's year-old Ducatis for 2024. Then he tested Honda's 2024 bike on Monday and that prospect suddenly seemed a whole lot more realistic. Simon Patterson, Valentin Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer delve into all the drama Marquez created and assess the likelihood of the Gresini move actually happening in the Misano episode of The Race MotoGP Podcast. They explain why their levels of scepticism fluctuated through the weekend, and what the consequences might be for the rest of the Ducati line-up if Marquez made the leap. And our panel makes it pretty clear what outcome they all want to see from this storyline too. Another past champion at a struggling Japanese manufacturer team gets some attention too - Fabio Quartararo may not be leaving Yamaha before 2024, but is he going to spend 2024 trying to get out? The San Marino GP itself is also discussed - with some feisty debate over whether Jorge Martin's flawless domination was actually that impressive given how battered his main rivals were from the Catalan GP. Dani Pedrosa's amazing (but not amazing enough to satisfy one panellist) comeback and Takumi Takahashi's embarrassing one feature as well. And we also pay tribute to IRTA chief Mike Trimby after his sudden death in the middle of the race weekend, and explain just how huge his contribution to modern MotoGP was. Follow The Race on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pecco Bagnaia's smooth progress towards another MotoGP world championship title was jeopardised in terrifying fashion when he was hit by Brad Binder's KTM after landing in the middle of the track following a first-lap high-side in the Catalan Grand Prix. Incredibly, it looks like Bagnaia escaped without any broken bones and may not even miss a race. The Race MotoGP Podcast panel Simon Patterson, Valentin Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer delve into exactly how the crash happened and the elements of fortune that meant the outcome wasn't much worse, as well as making their feelings on one aspect of the TV coverage of the aftermath very, very clear. Seconds before Bagnaia's crash unfolded. his team-mate Enea Bastianini triggered a pile-up of his own. Bastianini's riding, penalty, injury and what it means for his so far very tough time in the works Ducati team are discussed too. Away from all the Ducati drama, we also assess Aprilia's outstanding weekend, and where it goes from here. Does it have the riders to mount a title challenge? There's a bit of a difference of opinion over that... Follow The Race on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A few days on from a weekend in which he was the central figure in MotoGP's rider market for 2024, Johann Zarco speaks exclusively to The Race MotoGP Podcast about his decision to sign for LCR Honda. The 33-year-old Frenchman has elected to spurn a chance of continuing with MotoGP's most competitive bike in Ducati for a Honda 'project'. He explains why - and how the move came together - in a chat with podcast co-host Simon Patterson. Speaking at his home in France, Zarco also talks about how his failure at KTM impacted his thinking - and why he believes he will be more incorporated in the Honda RC213V's development than disillusioned predecessor Alex Rins was. He pontificates on having Marc Marquez as a Honda stablemate and candidly discusses the prospect of fighting for a factory Repsol Honda ride in the future. And he offers a detailed view of his mindset when it comes his pursuit of that ever-elusive first premier-class win. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Race MotoGP Podcast delves into the events of the series' 2023 Austrian Grand Prix weekend, in which the two actual races wound up relatively serene thanks to Pecco Bagnaia's dominance yet the rider market proved as lively as ever. Stand-in host Glenn Freeman is joined by Simon Patterson and Valentin Khorounzhiy, both fresh off chasing the latest developments in the Red Bull Ring paddock - where Johann Zarco's defection from the Ducati camp to Honda has been confirmed. They try to make sense of Zarco's move and a related (and perhaps even more surprising) development regarding Marco Bezzecchi's 2024 plans, one which suggests one of the best seats on next year's grid is now suddenly open. Also discussed is KTM tying down Brad Binder to a contract extension - on a weekend where Binder again proved an indispensable asset, while confusion over other places in the KTM/Gas Gas line-up continued to gather in the background. Of course, championship leader Bagnaia gets his share of plaudits - and the crew also debate the factors that influenced the quality of the racing on the weekend, as well as the causes of the Saturday multi-bike crash that Jorge Martin was penalised for. Follow The Race on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the latest of our 'Toby Talks To' interview episodes, host Toby Moody sits down for a chat with legendary Spanish journalist Manuel Pecino - a veteran of 30 years in the MotoGP paddock and a man with the inside line on everything that's going on. There's plenty of chat about the old days, of course, but also a uniquely Spanish viewpoint on the careers of several Iberian giants of the sport, including Dani Pedrosa, Jorge Lorenzo and Sete Gibernau. Pecino also shares his forthright views on Marc Marquez and Honda, discusses the joy that Valentino Rossi brought to his life, explains what he thinks MotoGP could learn from professional tennis, and regales Toby with plenty of behind the scenes paddock stories... Follow The Race on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aprilia looked superb in MotoGP's British Grand Prix at Silverstone, with Aleix Espargaro's last-lap pass on Pecco Bagnaia's Ducati to secure victory from 12th on the grid the icing on a cake that featured three bikes in the top five. So why have it and Espargaro been unable to do that all season? And is this the start of a trend or does it feel like a circumstantial anomaly. Simon Patterson, Valentin Khorounzhiy, special guest Dre Harrison and Matt Beer debate that in the Silverstone episode of The Race MotoGP Podcast. They also look at yet more wild developments in the rider market, including very revealing information from all parties in a potential Ducati reshuffle that features Johann Zarco potentially being edged aside despite doing nothing wrong right now. Championship leader Pecco Bagnaia gets his usual late-podcast mention for managing to shrug off wobbles without his points status looking in jeopardy, but the absolute state of Marc Marquez and Fabio Quartararo's weekends had fewer glass-half-full elements. Follow The Race on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Right now, you can get $50 off your purchase of $500 or more with code THERACE at bluenile.com To get 15% off go to mudwtr.com/therace to support the show and use code THERACE for 15% off Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The prospect of an exodus from the Honda ranks is the hot topic as MotoGP resumes following its summer break with the British Grand Prix at Silverstone this weekend. With Alex Rins linked to Yamaha, Joan Mir linked to Gresini Ducati and the LCR team linked to KTM, plus the door already being potentially open to a Marc Marquez exit, it's hard to see who'll be left riding Hondas in MotoGP in 2024 right now. Simon Patterson, Valentin Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer make their predictions on that front, and look at the likelihood and potential wisdom of the mooted Rins, Mir and LCR moves too. They also look ahead to a big MotoGP rule change coming into effect at Silverstone, and ask whether Casey Stoner's recent huge criticisms of modern MotoGP were fair. Follow The Race on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s episode we’re delighted to bring you another ‘Toby Talks To’ conversation, which this week sees host Toby Moody sit down for a lively chat with 1987 500cc world champion Wayne Gardner.  In typically forthright style, Wayne talks us through his remarkable career, including how he got his move to HRC, what it was like to ride bikes that would frequently high side, and how he won the world championship in 1987. He also talks about his great rivals of the time, the role he played in bringing Mick Doohan to Honda, and why he chose to bow out of Grand Prix racing after the 1992 season, with a subsequent move into car racing. There is also chat about Casey Stoner, how Gardner nurtured his son Remy’s fledgling career on bikes, and what he would change about modern MotoGP. And finally, Gardner shares his thoughts on the plight of his former team, Honda, giving his view on what needs to change to bring them back to the front.  Follow The Race on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Head over to vroom.com now to see what your current ride is worth and check out thousands of cars to find your next one! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s episode of The Race MotoGP podcast, Toby Moody speaks to Stuart Pringle, managing director of Silverstone circuit and the man responsible for running both the Formula 1 AND MotoGP British Grands Prix. During this Toby Talks To chat, Pringle gives his verdict on this year’s well-attended F1 Grand Prix at the track, before going on to explain how staging a MotoGP race differs from staging cars. He also talks about adapting the track for bike racing, dealing with Dorna and Liberty Media, the Circuit of Wales fiasco, and gives his view on why MotoGP shouldn’t be afraid to borrow from the F1 playbook. And finally, he responds to criticism from some fans about recent developments at Silverstone. Follow The Race on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is the increasing likelihood of a Marc Marquez/Honda MotoGP split a sign that Honda didn't learn from the breakdown of its relationship with Valentino Rossi? That's just one of the many, many listener questions Simon Patterson, Valentin Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer tackle in the latest episode of The Race MotoGP Podcast. Whether Fabio Quartararo should share the blame for Yamaha getting lost, what Miguel Oliveira's season might look like without injuries, the 2024 Honda line-up and the options for improving the grand prix weekend schedule are also on their list. And one particular mysterious under performer who was once tipped for great things prompted a particularly large number of questions. Follow The Race on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Right now, you can get $50 off your purchase of $500 or more with code THERACE at bluenile.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the latest edition of Toby Talks To, Toby Moody sits down for an in-depth chat with Simone Battistella, long-time rider manager to the likes of MotoGP legend Andrea Dovizioso and Superbike World Champion Alvaro Bautista. They discuss how Simone got into rider management before diving into some of the specifics of the job: How a contract is negotiated, how bonuses are structured, the setting up secret meetings, and even the influence of pushy parents.  They also talk about ‘get out clauses’ in contracts, particularly in relation to Marc Marquez’s situation at Honda, with Simone giving his opinion on what the Spaniard should do next.  There are also some great stories about managing ‘Dovi’, including ones about the clandestine meeting at the beginning of his MotoGP journey with Ducati, the inside story of their divorce, and the parties that followed significant moments in the Italian's career... Follow The Race on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With Honda admitting it won't make Marc Marquez see out his 2024 contract if he wants to leave, The Race MotoGP Podcast delves into a weekend of rider market bombshells and looks at what might happen next. Marquez didn't even race (again) in the Dutch Grand Prix, yet his weekend of clumsy crashes, forlorn midfield performance and seismic media sessions is top of Simon Patterson, Valentin Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer's agenda in our post-race episode. The possibility of Alex Rins or Joan Mir also exiting Honda and whether Assen Moto2 race winner Jake Dixon could step straight into a 2024 factory MotoGP seat is discussed too. Eventually we also make it onto talking about the racing itself, and the very comfortable position Pecco Bagnaia has going into the summer break (despite Marco Bezzecchi's best efforts), plus Brad Binder's astounding deja vu podium loss. Later in the summer break we'll be answering listeners' questions on all things MotoGP 2023, but particularly any topics or riders you feel we haven't talked about enough so far this year. Send your questions by email or voice note to podcasts@the-race.com Follow The Race on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Before last weekend, Marc Marquez had never lost a MotoGP race he'd started at the Sachsenring. What a contrast the 2023 German Grand Prix was: five crashes (three of them within 20 minutes in a single qualifying session), a trundle backwards to a finish outside the points in the sprint and then a non-start in the GP after a final crash in the warm-up. So is it game over for the Marquez/Honda relationship? That's certainly what The Race MotoGP podcast panel Simon Patterson, Valentin Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer reckon. Marquez's astonishing(ly bad) weekend is the biggest topic of conversation in our Sachsenring episode, from his actions after the dramatic practice crash with Johann Zarco through to his subdued exit from the weekend just before the main race was due to start. But those who actually contested the grand prix do get a look-in too, as we celebrate an amazing battle between Jorge Martin and Pecco Bagnaia for victory, assess what might happen next in the title fight they're now in, and consider the chance of Martin edging out Enea Bastianini for a shock move to the works Ducati fold alongside Bagnaia in 2024. That great race followed criticism from some riders on Saturday of how "boring" MotoGP has become. Do they still have a point? And is the level of domination Ducati's now achieving - as it took eight of the top nine places in the German GP - as problematic as it might seem? We debate all that too. Follow The Race on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Go to Indochino.com and use code RACE to get 10% off any purchase of $399 or more Sign up for a Chime Checking Account today to link your paycheck. It only takes two minutes and doesn’t affect your credit score. Get started at chime.com/therace To get 15% off go to mudwtr.com/therace to support the show and use code THERACE for 15% off Stay cool and dry all summer with Birddogs and get a FREE Yeti-style tumbler at birddogs.com/athletic use promo code ATHLETIC at checkout Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pecco Bagnaia dominated on the track during MotoGP's Italian Grand Prix at Mugello, but Marc Marquez generated most of the headlines off it. From getting under Bagnaia's skin with his qualifying antics to raising the biggest questions yet over his Honda future with the remarks he made when questioned about the spate of crashes and injuries for its riders, Marquez gave Simon Patterson, Valentin Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer plenty to debate on The Race MotoGP Podcast. Bagnaia's controlled wins at the head of Ducati-dominated results are analysed too, as well as the intriguing battle developing in his immediate wake. Follow The Race on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Head to factormeals.com/therace50 and use code THERACE50 to get 50% off your first box! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s podcast, Toby Moody returns for an extended chat with Chaz Davies, World Supersport champion, a race winner 32 times in World Superbikes, and a regular for many years in Grand Prix racing.  The popular Welsh rider discusses why he was always likely to get into motorcycle racing, cutting his teeth alongside the likes of Casey Stoner and Cal Crutchlow as a teenager, racing under Alberto Puig, and getting onto the Grand Prix grid at just 15 years of age. Along the way he recounts his unforgettable debut in Suzuka, why he only spent a year racing 125s, the amazing story of how he had to sit his school exams above a pit box at Mugello, and his eventual move to racing in America - a move he believes was the making of him. He also reminisces about his incredibly daunting short-notice MotoGP debut at Laguna Seca in 2007, the crowning glory of becoming Supersport world champion in 2011, and his spectacular World Superbike career.  Plus, there’s chat about his retirement from racing, his current life as a rider coach, and what’s in his personal bike collection… Follow The Race on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pecco Bagnaia is leading the MotoGP world championship. Apart from that, very little has gone as predicted in the 2023 season so far - including the fact that Bagnaia's lead is just one point. While MotoGP takes its spring break, The Race MotoGP Podcast picks the biggest shocks of what we've seen so far in this fraught season. The abysmal form of two marques (and some riders) who really should be doing much better, the surprise packages emerging as Bagnaia's title threats and the worryingly high injury tally are among the topics debated by Simon Patterson, Valentin Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer. Follow The Race on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our brand-new app on iOS or Android Email the show via podcasts@the-race.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The latest episode in our 'Toby talks' interview series sees Toby Moody sit down for a chat with old friend Sylvain Guintoli, a world champion in two different categories (World Superbike and Endurance World Championship) and a man who has raced and tested MotoGP bikes extensively. In typical jovial style, the Frenchman discusses the highs and lows of his career; his start in 250s, his move into MotoGP, his short spell in British Superbikes, his championship-winning campaign in World Superbikes, and his latter day move into MotoGP punditry. Along the way there are amusing stories behind the various deals he’s signed over the years, anecdotes about overtaking Valentino Rossi on home soil, and a vivid description of what it takes to get a MotoGP bike off the line quickly. Amongst other things, there's also discussion about his crucial role developing Suzuki's 2020 title-winning MotoGP bike, whether countryman Johan Zarco will ever win a MotoGP race, and what makes Marc Marquez so special. Follow The Race on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our brand-new app on iOS or Android Email the show via podcasts@the-race.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

MotoGP 2023 continued to be a story of collisions, penalties and stewarding controversies - but also epic racing and title battle twists - at the French Grand Prix. Simon Patterson, Valentin Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer dive into the incidents in The Race MotoGP Podcast, from championship leader Pecco Bagnaia's clash with Maverick Vinales to the not-actually-a-collision that's earned Alex Marquez a grid drop, plus some incredible paddock debate between the racers and the officials. They also tackle the renewed title battle and Le Mans winner Marco Bezzecchi's potential role in it, what Marc Marquez's fast but eventful return means for Honda, and an absolutely abject weekend for Yamaha and home hero Fabio Quartararo. Follow The Race on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our brand-new app on iOS or Android Get 15% off go to mudwtr.com/therace to support the show and use code THERACE for 15% off Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the latest episode of our series of in-depth conversations with paddock people, host Toby Moody sits down for a wide-ranging chat with former Suzuki MotoGP team principal (and current team principal of the Yamaha factory World Superbike squad) Paul Denning.  They discuss the differences between managing teams in MotoGP and World Superbikes, as well as the subtle cultural differences between the different Japanese marques Denning has worked for.  Denning also goes in to depth on securing the iconic Rizla sponsorship, the merits of Kenny Roberts Jr and John Hopkins as riders, and why things didn’t work out for Ben Spies at Suzuki.  He also talks at length about his star rider in WSB, Toprak Razgatlioglu, explaining what makes him so special before answering the question every fan wants to know about if and when he’ll make the switch to MotoGP. Denning also explains what it was like to go from watching riders like Loris Capirossi on TV to becoming his boss, reveals which riders he came very close to signing to Suzuki, and reminisces on his standout moments in MotoGP, including Chris Vermeulen’s victory at Le Mans in 2007.  Follow The Race on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With red flags for scary pile-ups in both races, another rider injured and others lucky not to be, the MotoGP field had another bruising weekend at Jerez. Simon Patterson, Valentin Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer try to untangle why the 2023 season's injury list is so high and what's leading to this spate of crashes in The Race MotoGP Podcast. They also debate race direction's responses to it, after a weekend when the officials weren't shy about issuing penalties. As Pecco Bagnaia got his championship defence back on course with a clinical performance, they look at whether KTM might now be the only rival bike Ducati should actually fear, and delve into the growing list of teams and riders whose 2023 is turning out far, far worse than they had expected - headlined by Fabio Quartararo and Yamaha. Follow The Race on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Go to grammarly.com/GO to download and learn more about GrammarlyGO! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the second episode of our series of in-depth conversations with paddock people, renowned MotoGP engineer Tom Jojic returns to the podcast for a wide-ranging discussion with host Toby Moody on a variety of topics affecting the grid in 2023.  Toby and Tom discuss the latest aero trends in MotoGP and what 2023's race weekend format changes mean for engineers, before diving into how both have potentially contributed to Pecco Bagnaia’s recent habit of falling off his bike.  They also discuss MotoGP’s ‘electronic war’ and whether this is contributing to riders, like Bagnaia, struggling to ‘feel’ their bikes. There’s also chat about whether it’s time for Yamaha to ditch their inline-four engine for a V4 and how the Mooney VR46 team can keep their great start to the season going. Follow The Race on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Start making your financial dreams a reality with Chime. Get started at chime.com/therace Right now, get up to 50% off that Mother’s Day gift she will love at bluenile.com To get 15% off MUD/WTR go to mudwtr.com/therace to support the show and use code THERACE for 15% off Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is MotoGP world champion Pecco Bagnaia crashing out of grands prix because the 2023 Ducati is just too stable? That's Bagnaia's own self-confessed "crazy" theory for the errors that are already the only thing standing between him and a huge championship lead. Simon Patterson, Valentin Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer give their takes on it - and the implications of Bagnaia's errors for the 2023 season - in the Americas Grand Prix edition of The Race MotoGP Podcast. They also assess Honda's shock return to the top step of the podium with Alex Rins and LCR (and what Marc Marquez might feel about it), the latest twists in Yamaha's hunt for both competitive form and a 2024 rider line-up, and the reasons for so many riders crashing at Austin. Follow The Race on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week's podcast sees Toby Moody return for the first in a special series of extended interviews with legendary characters from Grand Prix racing, and who better to start with than Jeremy McWilliams? The Belfast-born rider developed a reputation as a fierce competitor in 250s, 500s and MotoGP, and still has an enormous appetite for racing today - as evidenced by the fact he's still competing aged 59! On this show he talks about breaking into Grand Prix racing in 1993, why he moved back and forth between 250s and 500s over the course of his career, his memorable win at Assen in 2001, the famous pole he scored for Team Roberts at Phillip Island in 2002, and what he learned racing against Valentino Rossi. He also discusses his late career move into road racing, shares his thoughts on the introduction of sprint races, and explains why he's not against the proliferation of wings and other aero devices in modern MotoGP. Follow The Race on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our brand-new app on iOS or Android Email your questions or comments to podcasts@the-race.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Valentino Rossi is a MotoGP race-winner again - but this time as a team boss. After Marco Bezzecchi's dominant victory for VR46 in the Argentine Grand Prix - which put him into the championship lead - The Race MotoGP Podcast looks at what the first Rossi protege to win in MotoGP for The Doctor's own team might be capable of over the rest of 2023, and beyond. And Simon Patterson, Valentin Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer also explain just how 'Rossi' the VR46 team is - given the legendary rider's relatively low profile since stepping away from the grid. Bezzecchi's breakthrough win came on a bad day for the first Rossi protege to win a MotoGP title: Pecco Bagnaia. We delve into why the reigning champion was so unnerved by his crash from second place in the wet Sunday race. The second weekend of the new sprint format produced an epic victory from 15th on the grid on Saturday. How did Brad Binder make that happen, and how good is he really? We consider that as well as what went wrong for Fabio Quartararo and practice pacesetter Aprilia, and what went right for the usually-struggling Franco Morbidelli. MotoGP stewarding consistency might get a mention too. Follow The Race on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our brand-new app on iOS or Android Go to indochino.com and use code RACE to get 10% off any purchase of $399 or more Go to grammarly.com/tone to download and learn more about Grammarly Premium’s advanced tone suggestions Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The MotoGP drama hasn't stopped in the days since the bruising Portuguese Grand Prix season-opener, so we've reconvened The Race MotoGP Podcast panel for a special extra episode. Simon Patterson, Valentin Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer give their take on the bizarre controversies that have erupted over Marc Marquez's penalty for crashing into Jorge Martin and Miguel Oliveira at Portimao. That penalty initially looked like it might never be served at all given the specific wording of the penalty notice and Marquez missing this weekend's race in Argentina - but then the situation changed, prompting fury and an appeal from Honda. We debate all the implications, from what it means for the always contentious topic of MotoGP stewarding and the potential for discord between Dorna and the FIM.  Send us a question to podcasts@the-race.com Follow The Race on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 2023 MotoGP season got off to a fraught start as the sprint race format made its debut at the Portuguese Grand Prix. Though the racing in the sprint was superb, The Race MotoGP Podcast panel Simon Patterson, Valentin Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer also found it pretty unnerving. Across the weekend five MotoGP riders needed medical attention and three may now miss races as a result of Portimao injuries. One of them could be Marc Marquez, who's picked up not only a hand injury but also a penalty and plenty of paddock - and podcast - condemnation after ploughing into Miguel Oliveira and Jorge Martin. Before doing that, Marquez was one of the stars of the weekend as he surpassed all expectations with pole and a sprint podium on a Honda no one could get near the front. Ahead of it all, Ducati's Pecco Bagnaia made a serene start to his title defence with a maximum score that already leaves him looking even tougher to beat - though our panel isn't declaring the championship fight over just yet. Follow The Race on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android For MotoGP news, analysis and must-read features visit the-race.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A revolutionary MotoGP season - and its longest-ever - begins this weekend, with the Portuguese Grand Prix not only beginning the 2023 world championship but also launching the new sprint race format. MotoGP broadcaster Amy Reynolds makes a special guest appearance on The Race MotoGP Podcast alongside regulars Simon Patterson, Valentin Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer as we preview the 2023 season and make a few bold predictions. Predicting the champion might be quite straightforward this time, but we also take a punt at picking their title rivals and the other potential race-winners - or maybe that should be picking the tiny number of riders who _don't_ have a shot at a race victory this season (spoiler alert: we come up with 19.5 candidates to win). The riders and teams most likely to struggle, and the potential flashpoint and controversies are discussed too. And there's also a (re)appearance from a familiar voice to podcast listeners, with news of something very special we've got planned for the rest of the season. Follow The Race on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android For MotoGP news, analysis and must-read features visit the-race.com Start making your financial dreams a reality with Chime. Get started at chime.com/therace Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

MotoGP pre-season testing ended with Ducati looking dominant, Aprilia looking strong and Yamaha having rescued its winter at the last moment. But the biggest talking point from Portimao concerned some parts that might not even appear in the grands prix for a while. Aprilia and Yamaha took MotoGP's aero development war up a notch with the latest wings they added to their bikes at the weekend, showing how ineffective the rulemakers' attempts to limit aero have been so far. Simon Patterson, Valentin Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer debate all the implications of the MotoGP wing explosion, as the thrill of a period of great innovation clashes with fears over costs and the quality of racing, not to mention the aesthetic drawbacks. Wings aside, there was plenty to delve into from the final two days of testing, with both Yamaha and Honda ditching much of what they'd been working on and finding themselves in better shape as a result - though for Honda that was still not a great situation. Epic pace and confidence from defending champion Pecco Bagnaia, arm trouble for Aleix Espargaro and how bad things look for the small number of struggling riders (and maybe one manufacturer too) are among the other topics analysed. Follow The Race on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android For MotoGP news, analysis and must-read features visit the-race.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ahead of the final winter test this weekend, The Race MotoGP Podcast answers listeners' questions about the 2023 season's prospects - and much more. Yamaha's potential this year and beyond, and whether it risks a downward spiral with dire consequences, a particular Ducati satellite rider who might be of interest to other teams (and no, it's not Jorge Martin) and MotoGP's approach to TV deals and its own streaming package are among the topics you raised for Simon Patterson, Valentin Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer to tackle. Inevitably we (and you) stray a little beyond 2023 topics too: Brno's fate and how Valentino Rossi would've fared at Ducati had he gone there when Jorge Lorenzo did are discussed, and Sepang 2015 crops up again too. Follow The Race on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android For MotoGP news, analysis and must-read features visit the-race.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There's just one rookie on the 2023 MotoGP grid - Augusto Fernandez. But the number of spectacular talents in the ladder system bodes well for the years ahead. Which of those rising stars will make the cut, though? The Race MotoGP Podcast asked listeners for their predictions of the newcomers who'll make it onto the grid before 2030 - and Simon Patterson, Valentin Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer give their verdicts on your suggestions as well as making a few of their own. We also asked for nominations for the riders who deserved a MotoGP chance in the last 10 years but never got one - and have plenty of those to debate as well. Did your favourite make the list? Follow The Race on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android For MotoGP news, analysis and must-read features visit the-race.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Amazon Prime releases its new Marc Marquez documentary series, The Race MotoGP Podcast looks at what it reveals about the six-time champion and what Marquez's future might hold. Simon Patterson, Valentin Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer assess whether Marc Marquez: All In can make up for the damage done by the botched release of MotoGP Unlimited - which should've been the series' equivalent of Formula 1's Drive to Survive last year - and whether it paints a fully accurate picture, given the Marquez brothers are the producers. The series contains what might be Marquez's first attempt to regain control of the narrative around his feud with Valentino Rossi - so we boldly venture into those murky waters again too. Marquez's incredible MotoGP debut season a decade ago and the prospect of him leaving Honda (and we place our bets on where he might go) are discussed in depth as well. Follow The Race on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android For MotoGP news, analysis and must-read features visit the-race.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From a major breakthough followed by a worrying surprise for Yamaha to bizarre wing-less experiments at Honda, the first test of MotoGP's compacted 2023 pre-season offered plenty of talking points. Simon Patterson, Valentin Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer tackle all of them in The Race MotoGP Podcast. Yamaha began the Sepang event looking like it had finally tackled its long-running big weakness, yet ended it miles off the pace in qualifying simulations - just as Ducati's beaming world champion Pecco Bagnaia declared his team had found even more straightline speed. As for Honda, the sight of its bikes running without any wings at all showed how desperate its search for answers is getting. We also look at who's best-placed to spring an underdog upset among the very competitive horde of satellite Ducatis, Aprilia's very strong start to running a four-bike line-up and the new Gas Gas era at KTM's satellite team. Follow The Race on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android For MotoGP news, analysis and must-read features visit the-race.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices