Paddock Pass Podcast

With Magny-Cours WorldSBK round clashing with Misano MotoGP, we have a double dose of Paddock Pass Podcast action for you. In this week's World Superbike edition, Steve English and Gordon Ritchie look back at the French round of the production series.

The biggest topic in WorldSBK right now is Jonathan Rea's decision to switch from Kawasaki, the manufacturer he has had so much success with, to Yamaha. Will Rea get back to winning? Steve and Gordo dive into the details, and assess the move. They also talk about the repercussions the switch will have for the remaining open seats in WorldSBK, and look back at the controversies and action from Magny-Cours.

The Misano MotoGP race may have been tense, but it was not by any stretch of the imagination a thriller. On the Monday morning, as the MotoGP test got underway, David Emmett, Neil Morrison, and Adam Wheeler convened to talk through the events of the weekend.

First we ask why the racing is so processional, with it so difficult to overtake. We ask why Jorge Martin is pretending he can't be 2023 MotoGP champion. We discuss the drawn out drama surrounding Marc Marquez and his future. We pay tribute to Mike Trimby, founder and CEO of IRTA. And Adam interviews Bob Moore of the Wasserman Media Group on what a rider manager does and what goes in to negotiating a contract.

There was an extra vibe to Misano with the culmination of 2023 MotoE and the first chapter of the Ducati technical era. We chatted with the CryptoDATA RNF MotoE crew about their season, riding the Italian electric bikes and more for the latest ‘RNF Unlocked’ podcast!

A terrifying and frantic MotoGP weekend is in the books in Barcelona, and Adam Wheeler, Neil Morrison, and David Emmett gather to chew over the events of the Catalan grand prix.

Naturally, we talk about the first corner incident with Enea Bastianini, and why there are so many crashes in Turn 1 in Barcelona. We discuss Pecco Bagnaia's horrific highside in Turn 2, and how lucky he was to escape injury. We examine Aprilia's success at Barcelona, and hear from Aprilia Race Manager Paolo Bonora and RNF Racing team manager Wilco Zeelenberg.

And of course we have our winners and losers, and our moment of the week.

The essential double-act in MotoGP. On this latest RNF Unlocked podcast Raul Fernandez and his Crew Chief, Noe Herrera, attach the microphones to talk about they link-up, how they work and how their relationship is key to the chase of success for CrypoDATA RNF Racing.

In the latest episode of the Paddock Pass Podcast, Steve English, Neil Morrison, Adam Wheeler, and David Emmett look ahead to the Barcelona round of MotoGP, and consider the future of the class when the rules change in 2027. With Ducati boss Gigi Dall'Igna pushing for a capacity reduction to 850cc, we ask how likely that is, and what the alternative are. Steve brings us insight from the WorldSBK paddock, to see how the future of MotoGP and WorldSBK align with any changes.

What attracts a sponsor to MotoGP and what do the likes of CryptoDATA gain from their stake as part of RNF Racing? CEO Ovidiu Toma tells us about his discovery of the sport, why the company chose to get involved with the team and what gains they make from being in the MotoGP paddock.

Safely home after a sojourn at Spielberg, Neil Morrison and Adam Wheeler are joined by homebody David Emmett to discuss an eventful yet unexciting Austrian Grand Prix from the Red Bull Ring. The crew give their ratings for the event, and discuss why KTM can't have two more grid slots. The ask what the future holds for Marc Marquez, and whether the combination of Johann Zarco's move to LCR and Marco Bezzecchi's likely decision to stay at VR46 will precipitate a bigger seat shake up than we expected, especially in light of the empty seat at Pramac, and they ask what happened to the talk of tire pressures.

In the run up to the Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring, we have a special guest. After Steve English, Neil Morrison, and David Emmett chat about developments in the silly season and some of the ongoing discussions about the future of Marc Marquez and KTM, they give a quick preview of the race in Spielberg.

After that, there is a 20-minute interview with Jack Miller, who gives a deep insight into the development process of KTM, and how he has adapted to the Austrian bike. Miller is always interesting and worth listening to, but this was a particularly frank and open interview.

On the Monday after Silverstone, Adam Wheeler and Neil Morrison popped into David Emmett's parental abode to look back at a dramatic weekend of racing. Obviously it was Aprilia that made the headlines, with Aleix Espargaro's dramatic victory, and Miguel Oliveira and Maverick Viñales making it three Aprilias in the top five. David grabbed Aprilia Racing engineering boss Romano Albesiano and RNF Racing boss Razlan Razali to hear from them on the weekend.

There's much more to talk about too. The role that tire pressures may or may not have played in the result, whether this is rock bottom for the Japanese factories, and whether Jake Dixon will be moving up to MotoGP in 2024. And we finish, as always, with our winners and losers.