Paddock Pass Podcast

The Paddock Pass Podcast are joined by a special guest in this week's episode. Veteran journalist, TT winner, and prolific author Mat Oxley takes a look back at Valentino Rossi's long career with regulars Steve English, Adam Wheeler, Neil Morrison, and  David Emmett.

The reason for the conversation is Oxley's encyclopedic new book on Rossi's career, Valentino Rossi: All His Races, covering all of Rossi's motorcycle races, from the European 250cc championship through 125, 250, 500 and MotoGP, as well as his outings at Suzuka. Together with the crew, Oxley discusses what makes Valentino Rossi special, how his outward persona differs (or not) from the Rossi behind closed doors, what made Rossi special, and how he changed the sport.

The latest episode of the Paddock Pass Podcast is a close look at the 2021 MotoGP world champion Fabio Quartararo. Adam Wheeler sits down for an interview with the Frenchman, and Neil Morrison, Steve English, and David Emmett discuss the interview with Adam and review Quartararo's season. We each give our assessment of the Frenchman, we take a look at the factors which helped him win the title, discuss whether he can successfully defend the title, and pick out some of the highlights of his season.

The latest episode of the Paddock Pass Podcast features a special guest, with 2003 World Superbike champion and current BT Sport MotoGP commentator Neil Hodgson joining Steve English at the Motorcycle Live exhbition at the NEC in Birmingham in the UK. Steve spoke to Hodgy for nearly half an hour, in which the BSB and WorldSBK champ covered a lot of ground, on being a commentator, racing in World Superbike, the need to compete, and the current state of the MotoGP and WorldSBK paddocks.

Before the interview, Steve is joined by Adam Wheeler, Neil Morrison, and David Emmett to get their thoughts on what Hodson said. After The Big Reveal of David's new bike, Neil Morrison drops another bombshell on his desire to get a bike license, which prompts a quick discussion on the state of roadgoing motorcycles at the moment. Then we get into the Hodgson interview, and pick out some of our highlights from it, and give our view.

This week's episode is something of a crossover, and one of epic proportions. In this show, brought to you by Fly Racing and Renthal Street, part of the MotoGP side of the Paddock Pass Podcast crew joined the WorldSBK regulars to take a look back at the outstanding 2021 WorldSBK season, bring a fresh perspective, and ask the questions they genuinely wanted to know. Neil Morrison and David Emmett join Steve English and Gordon Ritchie to take a long, hard look at the year in Superbikes.

After a quick recap of The Saga of David's Hat, the group turn their attention to the World Superbike season. They ask what the difference was this year for Toprak Razgatlioglu and Jonathan Rea, and how the Pata Yamaha rider managed to come out on top. They discuss the hard and intense battles which took place all year long between Razgatlioglu, Rea, and Scott Redding, and what that means for the series. They look at where Razgatlioglu had the advantage, and how the revs Kawasaki had taken away affected the outcome of the season.

With the WorldSBK finale finished and the title wrapped up, Steve English and Gordon Ritchie sit down to review the last round of World Superbikes and look back at the season on the latest episode of the Paddock Pass Podcast sponsored by Fly Racing and Renthal Street. They kick off with a review of the Mandalika International Street Circuit, the brand new track on the island of Lombok in Indonesia, and what it was like to take a long haul flight to a race again. They discuss how the track changed, how the rain affected the circuit, and how Toprak Razgatlioglu's training methods gave him an advantage on a green track.

With Razgatlioglu having tied up the title, Steve and Gordo discuss just how tight the championship was, and how any one of Jonathan Rea, Toprak Razgatlioglu, or Scott Redding could have won the title had things played out only slightly differently. They debate Razgatlioglu's strengths, and make a very strong case for why he would be better off staying in WorldSBK rather than going to MotoGP.

The Paddock Pass Podcast Follow Up Show Fueled by Elf Marc VDS Racing sees Neil Morrison and Adam Wheeler sit in a cafe in Barcelona and discuss the final Moto2 and Moto3 races of 2021. They go through the Moto2 finale which saw Remy Gardner finally clinch the title ahead of Raul Fernandez, and the last clash between Moto3 champion Pedro Acosta and the man he beat to the title, Dennis Foggia. They go through the extraordinarily imaginative conspiracy theories of the Leopard Racing team, and the conspiratorial interview given by Raul Fernandez on why he lost Moto2. And then they look ahead to the 2022 season in both Moto2 and Moto3, and what to expect.

The Paddock Pass Podcast, backed by Fly Racing USA and Renthal Street, comes live from the back garden of a house near Valencia for the final round of MotoGP, and the final race for both Valentino Rossi and Danilo Petrucci. Adam Wheeler and Neil Morrison chat to David Emmett, before Adam and Neil had to rush off to catch trains back to Barcelona.

There was plenty to talk about, of course. Whether the attention lavished on Valentino Rossi's retirement was too much, not enough, or right in the Goldilocks zone. Why the Ducatis are so very, very good now. How Takaaki Nakagami ended up second in the Sunday Morning Warm Up championship, and the worrying predicament Honda currently find themselves in.

Although we talked about the Moto2 and Moto3 races from in Episode 250, there was still plenty left to discuss in the Paddock Pass Podcast Follow Up Show Fueled By Elf MarcVDS Racing. Neil Morrison and David Emmett rake over the coals of a dramatic Moto3 race, and a fascinating Moto2 race.

Of course we revisit the Moto3 race again, and the last lap incident between Darryn Binder and Dennis Foggia. We discuss Pedro Acosta's championship, and how he won the title, and what it means for Moto2. We also talk about Remy Gardner's remarkable race in Moto2, making the right tire choice to cruise through the field once the harder rear tire came into its own. We evaluate Raul Fernandez' tire choice, and how the pair will do in Moto2.

As the Paddock Pass Podcast passes the milestone of 250 episodes, Adam Wheeler, Neil Morrison, and David Emmett gather to discuss what happened at the Algarve Grand Prix in Portimão. With Pecco Bagnaia's outstanding performance turning the MotoGP race into an uneventful affair, we start the show off with a look at the dramatic end of the Moto3 race. We discuss Darryn Binder's move on Sergio Garcia, which took out Dennis Foggia and handed Pedro Acosta the Moto3 title, and whether it was a simple mistake or worthy of a far greater penalty than just disqualification. We also consider Pedro Acosta's Moto3 title, and what winning the championship in his rookie year means for the future.

The latest edition of the Paddock Pass Podcast presented by Fly Racing and Renthal Street features breaking news. Halfway through the recording of this show, as Steve English, Neil Morrison, Adam Wheeler and David Emmett gathered to look ahead to Portimão came the news that Marc Marquez had decided to skip the Grand Prix of the Algarve, the second visit to the Portuguese circuit.