Paddock Pass Podcast

Toprak Razgatlioglu made his return to WorldSBK, Alvaro Bautista returned to form and Andrea Iannone returned to winning ways at the Aragon Round of WorldSBK. Gordo and Steve talk through a wild weekend at the Spanish track, where Toprak took another step nearer the title, Nicolo Bulega suffered mechanical heartbreak, and Alvaro Bautista looked more like the double world champion he is.

Mandalika served up mixed bag of racing and a high rate of attrition. Adam, David, and Neil dig into the details and ask who came out on top after a minimal shift in the championship. Who handled the pressure, and who folded?

We look at how Jorge Martin stayed upright after crashing out of the sprint race, and why Pecco Bagnaia started so far back but still ended up on the podium. We ask whether Enea Bastianini and Marc Marquez are still in the title fight, after Bastianini's crash and Marquez' exploding engine. And we discuss Pedro Acosta's performance, the step forward KTM have made, and what the future holds. All this plus our moments of the weekend and winners and losers.

Back-to-back WorldSBK rounds made coordinating a Cremona review difficult, but Steve and Gordo found the ideal solution. On Thursday at Aragon, they sat down to look back at the events of last week, and are joined by a steady stream of WorldSBK and WorldSSP riders. 

Danilo Petrucci was the star of the show at Round 9 and the Barni Ducati rider joins us to talk about winning, how his style of riding evolved from childhood and what it meant to win again after his training crash in April. 

He wasn't the only Ducati rider to appear as we grabbed Alvaro Bautista to talk about his Superpole struggles and whether he can still be a title contender. Adrian Huertas also stopped by to give us his thoughts on moving to Moto2 in 2025. 

It's time to answer Patreon backer questions for the Paddock Pass Podcast crew. Steve joins Neil and David to answer questions on whether the FIM Stewards even looked at Enea Bastianini's last-lap pass on Jorge Martin, whether Jorge Martin and Pecco Bagnaia are messing up more than previous champions, whether Bastianini's pass follows in a long line from Valentino Rossi through Marc Marquez, plus what's up with Yamaha's V4. And Neil speaks to Yamaha team manager Maio Meregalli about the progress of the V4 project so far.

The second visit to Misano produced even more drama than the first one, with crashes, hard last-lap passes, and plenty of finger pointing after the race. Neil, Adam and David gather, hampered by a dodgy mic cable, to discuss what unfolded at the Emilia-Romagna GP. Was Enea Bastianini's pass on Jorge Martin fair? Should he have been forced to give up the position again? What went wrong with Pecco Bagnaia? Plus rays of light at the end of the tunnel for Japan, and our winners and losers. 

Remember to sign up to become a Patreon Paddock Insider for a chance to win two paddock passes and of course access to the Paddock Notes show and so much extra bonus content.

2015 is the MotoGP season that wouldn't die, especially because it keeps getting raked up by fans, media, and the protagonists. Valentino Rossi is the one to bring up that fateful season this time, speaking on an otherwise long and fascinating two-part podcast with former Moto3 rider Andrea Migno. Was Rossi right to dwell on what happened, and is his analysis of events correct? What effect will Rossi's statements on 2015 have on Marc Marquez and his 2024 campaign? Neil, Steve, and David dive once again into the pit of darkness that is the 2015 MotoGP season.

The French Round of WorldSBK saw Toprak Razgatlioglu, Alvaro Bautista and Jonathan Rea all ruled out through injury. What lessons can be learned from Toprak's crash and what can we expect from upcoming rounds of WorldSBK?

On track there was a popular winner with Michael van der Mark putting his pains of multiple injuries behind him to win again before Nicolo Bulega enjoyed a perfect Sunday. Is the Italian actually a title threat for Toprak now? Steve, Gordo and Ivo debate the merits of a title battle while also looking at the improved fortunes of Honda and the rider market moves being made in the Superbike Paddock.

The Misano round of MotoGP raised lots of questions, and Neil and David try to answer at least some of them sent in by Patreon backers. First, a quick run down of the Misano test, who was trying what, and whether it was for Misano 2, the rest of 2024, or the start of 2025. Then a discussion of what the introduction of radio communication will mean for MotoGP, and whether it will change the racing. A quick look at Michelin's new front tire, and then onto questions such as whether Jorge Martin could have beaten Marc Marquez if he hadn't pulled in to swap bikes, whether there is more to Sergio Garcia's struggles than we know, and how to solve MotoGP's passport dilemma, and nurture more talent from outside of Spain and Italy.

The Misano episode of the Paddock Pass Podcast is out! In this episode, Neil and David sit in a commentary booth overlooking the Misano front straight and ponder the effect a few sprinkles of rain had on what turned into a fascinating race.

Neil and David discuss Marc Marquez' return to victory, just 7 days after his last, Jorge Martin's seemingly bizarre decision to swap bikes when the track was damp, and the profound effect it may have on the championship, the role teams play in these decisions, Pecco Bagnaia's terrible but successful weekend, and a new rising star in Moto3. And of course we have our winners and losers.

The MotoGP discussion show means answering Patreon questions, so David, Neil and Steve sink their teeth into the Alex Márquez vs Pecco Bagnaia crash, Aprilia's grip woes, the track conditions, Marc Márquez' winning emotions, and Jorge Martin's impressive race. Did Alex take out Pecco on purpose? Should Marc have been more excited? What happened to the Aprilias? And will Misano see a Ducati clean sweep?

Remember to sign up to become a Patreon Paddock Insider for a chance to win two paddock passes and of course access to the Paddock Notes show and so much extra bonus content.