Paddock Pass Podcast

On the midweek show, we sit down to answer questions from our Patreon backers, as always. Adam, David, and Steve discuss how much of Pecco Bagnaia's incredible 10 GP victories this year are down to the GP24 and how many are down to him, how much both Jorge Martin and Pecco Bagnaia have improved this year, why Johann Zarco is outperforming the Repsol Honda riders, whether the recent progress for the Japanese factories is real or just Sepang, and why Marc Marquez seems to be able to score so many points after crashing.

There was no shortage of drama at Sepang on Sunday. An oppressive heat, the threat of rain, a terrifying crash at Turn 1 at the start, then 3 of the most hard-fought laps at the beginning of the restarted race before the passing ended and the race turned tedious.

Adam, David and Neil talk through why Pecco Bagnaia and Jorge Martin fought so hard in those opening laps, whether Martin has the title in the bag or if Bagnaia has a path to the championship, why passing is so difficult, especially at Sepang, why Turn 1 is so dangerous, and who can possibly help Bagnaia in Barcelona. Plus our ratings and winners and losers.

Pecco Bagnaia closed the gap to Jorge Martin in a very wet race at Buriram, but only by 3 points. Neil, David and Steve answer questions from our Paddock Pass Podcast Patreon backers. Does Pecco Bagnaia need help from another rider, and who would be willing to do so? Do KTM have a bike advantage in the wet? How is KTM going to make sure they can keep David Alonso in the family? Could Dorna move the opening round of MotoGP to February? Plus reflecting on the news that Andrea Iannone will replace Fabio Di Giannantonio at Sepang, and a look ahead to the Malaysian round of MotoGP.

It was a wet and slightly wild MotoGP race in Buriram, with crashes, clashes, and the championship battle getting tighter. David, Neil, and Adam examine whether Buriram has left Jorge Martin or Pecco Bagnaia in better shape, ask if this was Bagnaia's best win in MotoGP, whether Marc Marquez threw away a certain win, and ponder how KTM did in the wet. Plus, Ai Ogura's championship, Ducati dominance, and our winners and losers. 

Is Toprak's WorldSBK title the most unexpected in the history of the series? Steve and Gordo look back at the final round of the 2024 campaign and Toprak Razgalioglu's confirmation as the Superbike World Champion for the second time.

The Turkish rider is now unquestionably the best rider on the grid but what makes him special? We grabbed Phil Marron and Kenan Sofuglu to talk about when they believed they could win the title and the mentality of Toprak. Kenan's insight is very interesting as he talks about positivity rather than aggression being the key to winning in motorcycle racing. Steve also reminds Gordo of what we expected from Toprak back in January when they went to the the Spanish venue for pre-season testing.

The Motegi malaise was blown into the Bass Strait by the whirlwind at Phillip Island. The Island always delivers, and this race was no exception, with a botched start converted into a hard fought victory, and lap and race records smashed. Adam, David, and Neil go over the big talking points from the Australian GP, with Neil forced to leave early to make the mad dash to Melbourne. 

Was the race with getting up at 5am for? How did Marc Marquez come through the pack? Will an additional 10 points be enough to carry Jorge Martin to the title in Valencia? And why, for the love of all this holy, is MotoGP at Phillip Island in October rather than February? 

After the closest finish in WorldSBK history, just 0.003s, the title fight between Toprak Razgatlioglu and Nicolo Bulega will go to the final round of the year. With 46 points seperating the duo Toprak needs to finish in third position on Saturday to clinch his second title.

The Turkish rider held a media debrief at the Jerez Circuit today and as ever Steve, Gordo and Ivo were on had to dissect the news. Toprak is relaxed and ready to win and you can hear what he had to say on today's pod. We are also joined by Kawasaki's Alex Lowes as he walks through the media centre. The Phillip Island racer talks about his highlights of the season.

After a weekend off, MotoGP is back again for the final triple header before the showdown at Valencia. First stop on the tour of the Pacific is Phillip Island, a track that always produces fantastic racing. Much needed after Motegi. With BSB having a fantastic final round at Brands Hatch and WorldSBK having its closest ever finish at Estoril, Neil, David and Adam ask whether BSB is a better series than MotoGP now. 

With Neil still in Tokyo, he joins David and Adam to answer questions from our Patreon backers for the midweek show. Will the Martin-Bagnaia rivalry ever ignite? And are rivalries even a good thing? Should Pedro Acosta stop crashing? Will Romano Albesiano be given the tools to turn the ship around at HRC? Are boring races really boring, or are we missing something? And what's the deal with Alex Rins? Plus David's extended gloating session over the Paddock Pass Podcast Alpinestars Fantasy League.

If you want us to answer your question, head on over to the Paddock Pass Podcast Patreon page and sign up.

The Motegi MotoGP round did not live up to its promise, with some perfect riding making for a lack of spectacle. But Neil, Adam, and David still have plenty to talk about after the weekend, including Marc Marquez' stolen pole, Pedro Acosta's many crashes, Pecco Bagnaia's near perfect weekend, and how Jorge Martin salvaged what could have been a disaster. Plus we touch on David Alonso's first Moto3 title, an otherwise thrilling Moto2 race, and Neil's adventures of visiting Japan for the first time. And of course our winners and losers.