Paddock Pass Podcast

MotoGP is back at last, and the season opener gave us all such a lot to talk about. Neil Morrison and David Emmett have a lot to cover in the latest episode of the Paddock Pass Podcast.

First, there was the rain, and the folly of organizing a night race in the desert during the "rainy season", however loosely that term may apply to Qatar. Then there was a spectacular and thrilling MotoGP race, with Johann Zarco leading early, Maverick Viñales winning on his first time out on the Yamaha, a podium that even Valentino Rossi didn't expect.

The latest episode of the Paddock Pass Podcast takes a look back at the two opening rounds of the World Superbike championship. Steve English, WorldSBK commentator extraordinaire, talks to David Emmett about the Philllip Island and Thailand rounds of WorldSBK. 

Though Jonathan Rea is dominating the series so far, the competition is still looking pretty tough. Chaz Davies is doing his best on the Ducati to make Rea's life a misery. Once he got his head round the new grid formation for the second race, Tom Sykes put up a pretty stiff challenge to his teammate. And returnee Marco Melandri is banishing any idea that he may be washed up, holding his own at the front.

With the 2017 MotoGP season rapidly approaching, it is fitting that the latest episode of the Paddock Pass Podcast should take a deep dive into the final MotoGP test of the preseason at Qatar. Hotfooting it from the desert, Neil Morrison talks to David Emmett about what he learned at the test. There was certainly a lot to talk about.

We are in the middle of testing season, and so after two MotoGP tests at two very different circuits, Neil Morrison and David Emmett sit down to go over the state of play in MotoGP. The big question from both Sepang and Phillip Island is whether Marc Marquez or Maverick Viñales is the favorite to emerge from preseason testing. Neil and David weigh the pros and cons, and go over the data from the test so far.

The Paddock Pass Podcast is back! After a hiatus over the winter break, Steve English and David Emmett get together to go over the latest news from testing, now that bikes are back on track.

The first subject is Sepang, where the MotoGP grid had reassembled for the first test of 2017. We go over the results, debate how strong Marc Marquez is, whether Maverick Viñales can pose a real threat for the title, ponder the strength of Valentino Rossi on the Yamaha, discuss how strong Jorge Lorenzo will be on the Ducati, and spend a few words on the exceptionally strong field of rookies who join MotoGP this season.

While Steve English, Neil Morrison and David Emmett were in Barcelona to cover the Superprestigio indoor dirt track race, the three Paddock Pass Podcast regulars seized the opportunity to sit down for a look back at the 2016 MotoGP season. Sat in the Palau Sant Jordi in Barcelona, we ran through our highs, lows and surprises of 2016.

With most of the Paddock Pass Podcast crew gathered in Barcelona for the Superprestigio dirt track race, we used the opportunity to record a couple of shows. The first show covers the reason we were all in Barcelona in the first place: the fourth edition of the Barcelona Superprestigio, which featured another clash between MotoGP champion Marc Marquez and former AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National champion Brad Baker. This time, it was Marquez who came out on top, tying the series 2-2, and setting up a sequel for next year.

After an extend hiatus due to the practical difficulties of trying to synchronize different schedules, the Paddock Pass Podcast is back. In the latest episode, Neil Morrison and David Emmett join Steve English to talk about the end of the 2016 MotoGP season and the start of 2017.

We touch briefly on the Valencia race, before getting into the detail of what we had all been waiting for throughout the weekend: what  all the different riders switching manufacturers looked like on their new steeds. There was a lot to cover, with talk of both the Valencia and Jerez tests.

The latest episode of the Paddock Pass Podcast takes a long look back at the last two of the flyaways. Neil Morrison and David Emmett have a long chat about the exciting events at Phillip Island and Sepang. 

With the weather being a real factor in both Australia and Malaysia, we talk about how that affected the racing, and celebrate two unexpected winners. We discuss Cal Crutchlow's superb victory in Australia, and Andrea Dovizioso's controlled win at Sepang, managing the race and the conditions to perfection. 

With the Paddock Pass Podcasters spread across the globe, the latest episode comes with a skeleton crew. MotoMatters.com's David Emmett is joined by our photographer Scott Jones of Photo.GP. Scott is in Thailand, having just returned from his first visit to Motegi.

Scott and David have plenty to talk about. As it was Scott's first visit to Japan, he talks about the challenges of visiting a track for the first time, and his impressions of the track. He was in for a surprise, as everyone was - not least Marc Marquez - as Marquez managed to wrap up the title at his first attempt. Scott and David talk about the transformation of Marquez this year, and how he won the 2016 title.