Paddock Pass Podcast

It's been a busy week for the Paddock Pass Podcast crew. As well as the WorldSBK show with Steve English and Gordon Ritchie, Steve joins Adam Wheeler, Neil Morrison, and David Emmett to look ahead to the MotoGP race at Mugello this weekend. We kick off the show with a quick review of how the calendar, and how various restrictions and easening thereof could affect the second half of 2021.

From there, we went on to discuss Jack Miller's new contract with Ducati, and then get into the seats still open for 2022, and who is likely to fill them. That inevitably leads to a discussion of Andrea Dovizioso, and whether he will and should be racing for Aprilia in 2022.

On the Monday after the opening round of the World Superbike season, Steve English and Gordon Ritchie sat down at Barcelona airport to record an episode of the Paddock Pass Podcast while they waited for their flight to Portugal for the Estoril round, which takes place this weekend. Together, Steve and Gordo review the events of the first WorldSBK round of the 2021 season, getting off to a late start.

The drama in MotoGP may have dominated the headlines, but Moto2 & Moto3 had plenty of drama of their own at Le Mans. In Paddock Pass follow up show fueled by Marc VDS Racing, Steve English is joined by Neil Morrison, Adam Wheeler, and David Emmett to take a look at how the support class races played out.

It was inevitable that the weather would have the last word at Le Mans, and when conditions produced the first flag-to-flag MotoGP race since Brno 2017, there was plenty of drama up and down the field. So it is unsurprising that the Paddock Pass Podcast crew had plenty to discuss after the weekend. Steve English, Neil Morrison, Adam Wheeler, and David Emmett gather to analyze just what went on at Le Mans.

On the eve of the WorldSBK season opener at the Motorland Aragon circuit, the Superbike division of the Paddock Pass Podcast sit down with one of the main contenders for the 2021 championship. Steve English and Gordo Ritchie kick off the show with a discussion of Scott Redding's first year in WorldSBK on board the factory Aruba.it Ducati Panigale V4R, and how he fared after winning the title on the bike in British Superbikes.

On the eve of a Le Mans that looks like being affected by its usual fickle weather conditions, the Paddock Pass Podcast crew look ahead to the weekend to come. Steve English, Neil Morrison, and David Emmett are subjected to Adam Wheeler's fiendish GP quiz, while the foursome make comparisons, favorable and unfavorable, of the race with the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and what the race will be like without fans.

They discuss whether having no fans will relieve some of the pressure on the French favorites, Fabio Quartararo and Johann Zarco, and whether that means they can win there. We discuss why the track seems to favor the Honda and the Yamaha, and why two such diverse bikes should go so well, and we ask whether Ducati can disrupt their streak again this year. And they pick out who they think really has to win this weekend, to get their championship back on track.

The Paddock Pass Podcast follow up show, fueled by Elf Marc VDS Racing, is back for a review of the Moto2 and Moto3 classes at Jerez. In the show, Steve English, Neil Morrison, and Adam Wheeler take a deep dive into what went down in the support classes at Jerez. They start off with Moto2, and debate whether Fabio Di Giannantonio's first win in Moto2 is a sign of an Italian revival in the class, with Marco Bezzecchi taking second place and Sam Lowes finishing third. They explain why you never hear about tires in Moto2 or Moto3, and what that says about the classes.

The Jerez MotoGP round turned up more than its fair share of surprises, with Jack Miller taking a long-expected win and Fabio Quartararo running into an arm-pump-induced brick wall. In the latest episode of the Paddock Pass Podcast, Steve English, Neil Morrison, Adam Wheeler, and David Emmett gather to take an in-depth look at the events of the weekend.

Adam Wheeler talks about being at a race for a change, and what a shame it is that fans were not at the track. Neil Morrison praises Jack Miller's race, and the emotion that the race unleashed for the Australian, and how revealing that is of the pressure Miller has been under. David Emmett discusses arm pump, where it comes from and how to fix it, and Adam pitches in with his experience in MXGP. The crew look at concussion, and how MotoGP handles the condition.

With MotoGP headed back to Jerez, and at its normal slot in the calendar at the end of April/beginning of May, the Paddock Pass Podcast crew gather to take a look ahead at the Spanish Grand Prix. Steve English, Neil Morrison, and David Emmett ponder what to expect at the first race from which it might be able to draw some actual conclusions about the 2021 season.

There is plenty to talk about. First there's the weather, and whether any lessons can be learned from last year. Then there's the new allocation of front tires, with an asymmetric hard front being introduced into the mix. After last year's podium for Andrea Dovizioso, and Pecco Bagnaia on course for another podium, we wonder whether Ducati's curse at Jerez has finally been broken. We discuss what will happen to Marc Marquez, and how he will fare at a track he loves, whether Fabio Quartararo can continue his astounding form, both from Portimao and from last year, and then we round up with our predictions for the race.

With the Moto2 and Moto3 classes producing great racing and fascinating championships this season, the Paddock Pass Podcast introduces a new show, dedicated to the junior Grand Prix classes. Steve English, Adam Wheeler, and Neil Morrison dive into the Moto2 and Moto3 action from the Portimão circuit.