Paddock Pass Podcast

The French Grand Prix at Le Mans left us with more questions than answers, so Steve, Neil, and David attempt to answer some of the questions posed by our Patreon supporters. What factors will Ducati take into account when choosing between Marc Marquez, Jorge Martin, and Enea Bastianini for the second factory Ducati seat? Can Ducati keep all three riders, and if not, who can they afford to lose? Is the Yamaha getting better, or was it all just Fabio Quartararo? What's up with Brad Binder? And do the 2027 rules risk becoming a repeat of the 800s.

To help answer that last question, Neil sat down with KTM's MotoGP project leader Sebastian Risse, who gives his perspective on how he thinks the series will change in 2027.

After three scintillating races at Le Mans, Adam, David, and Neil chew over the big questions from the French Grand Prix. The biggest question, of course, is who Ducati should put on the second factory bike alongside Pecco Bagnaia. We chew over all the permutations, plus praise Jorge Martin's exceptional race, Marc Marquez making it two remarkable charges through the field in a row, and where Martin's domination in France leaves Pecco Bagnaia's title hopes.

With the next round of MotoGP at Le Mans heaving into view, Steve, Neil, David and Adam are joined by French MotoGP journalist and statistician Tom Morsellino, to discuss the state of French motorcycle racing and what makes Le Mans so special. There was news to discuss too, with the cancellation of Kazakhstan and the announcement of the 2027 MotoGP rules. The rules arrived in the middle of recording the podcast, so you get our live reaction to the new technical  regulations.

The Jerez round of MotoGP had a lot of highlights, and one of them was American Racing's Joe Roberts becoming the first American to lead a world championship since Nicky Hayden in 2006. Neil sat down with Joe at Jerez to talk about his return to the American Racing Moto2 team, and about racing in general. And Neil, Adam, and David answer a lot of listener questions sent in from our Patreon channel. Why are the Yamahas slow at Jerez when they used to dominate? Will Jake Dixon make it to MotoGP? What effect will the new 850cc engines have on MotoGP from 2027?  Was Jerez Pecco Bagnaia's best ever race? And much more.

The Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez proved to be a corker! On Sunday night, Adam, Neil and David sat in a deserted press conference room above pit lane, where the bikes were being warmed up ready for Monday's test, to discuss the thrills and spills of Jerez. 

We ask whether this was Pecco Bagnaia's best GP win, what this means for Marc Marquez, whether Jorge Martin is human again, and what the impact of Pedro Acosta has been on the crowds. We also get into the complaints about Race Direction, and ask whether Johann Zarco was right to be so angry with Freddie Spencer. And to top it off, we have our winners and losers.

After a thrilling and cold round of WorldSBK at Assen, Steve and Gordo sat down with MotoGP veteran Mat Oxley to discuss the state of WorldSBK, what BMW is doing in the series, and what that means for MotoGP. And Steve interviews BMW team boss Shaun Muir about the impact that the arrival of Toprak Razgatlioglu at the Bavarian manufacturer has had.

The Spanish GP marks the start of the European leg of MotoGP, so Adam grills David and Neil on their knowledge of the Jerez circuit and the history of the Spanish Grand Prix. We debate whether KTM and Aprilia can take the fight to Ducati, whether Jerez is the best place to host the Spanish GP, and how Dani Pedrosa will fare in his KTM wildcard weekend. Plus, a giant interview with Wayne Rainey on MotoGP and more.

Kevin Schwantz is a legend of grand prix motorcycle racing, and Neil and Adam had the opportunity to interview the ex-500cc champion to talk about his history, the state of racing in the US, and much more. And David, Adam, Neil and Steve look at some of the big stories to emerge from the Circuit Of The Americas. Does this mark a turning point for Maverick Viñales? Is the brake issue which caused Marc Marquez to crash out from the lead a sign that winning a title in a factory team is impossible? And what is going on with Honda? 

The Austin round of MotoGP proved to be a thriller, with all of the components of a historic race. An impressive comeback through the field to victory, a rising star battling for the win, the return, and fall, of the King of COTA, and rumblings of trouble for the dominant factory in MotoGP. On Sunday night, Adam, David, and Neil gathered to digest what they saw at the Circuit Of The Americas. They talk the return of the Mack, the ascendancy of Acosta, Marc Marquez' missed braking marker, and Ducati's chatter problem. 

Adam also speaks to Maverick Viñales' crew chief Manuel Cazeaux, 2000 500cc champion Kenny Roberts Jr, and Chris Hillard from Alpinestars explains their latest TechAir 7x airbag system for track day use.

With the US round of MotoGP heaving into view, David, Neil, and Adam talk all things America. What impact will Liberty's acquisition of Dorna play in promoting MotoGP in the US? Are more US rounds incoming? Will Laguna Seca make a comeback? What prospects does the Flatrock Motorsports Park in Tennessee have? Which American giant from the 1980s and 1990s would have done best in the modern era of MotoGP? Would Lawson have been better than Rainey? Could Schwantz have killed it on a KTM?

We also have a discussion of why Fabio Quartararo stuck with Yamaha rather than risking jumping to a (potentially more competitive) bike. We give our favorite memories from US races in the past, and we offer our predictions for who will win at the Circuit Of The Americas.