Paddock Pass Podcast

With MotoGP entering its final stretch, the crew take a look at how the championship might play out. Adam Wheeler, David Emmett, and Steve English ask if Jorge Martin should be given the factory Ducati seat, and how that might affect his future options. We try to figure out why only Brad Binder has been successful on the KTM so far this year. We also ask if Pedro Acosta is any good, and if he is, just how good. And we take a glimpse into MotoGP's future.

The 2024 WorldSBK season ended on a high at Jerez, with one of the best races the series has seen in a very long time. Two days later, 2024 kicked off in style, with Remy Gardner fastest, Jonathan Rea making a very strong debut on the Yamaha, and Andrea Iannone returning to active duty. 

After the test was done, Steve English and Gordo Ritchie got together to talk over a spectacular race and take a look at testing. They talk Toprak Razgatlioglu and track limits, Alvaro Bautista's second WorldSBK title, and try to read the tea leaves from the test.

After two mistakes in a row, Jorge Martin had his work cut out in Buriram, and the Pramac Ducati rider rose to the challenge. This week, Adam, David, and Neil look back at a thrilling Thai GP, ask what made the racing so exciting, look at the Martin vs Bagnaia rivalry, and ask if the KTM RC16 is a bike only Brad Binder can ride. Plus we hear from Pramac Ducati team boss Gino Borsoi on how Martin is handling the pressure.

In this episode of the Paddock Pass Podcast, we have a couple of mea culpas: David for saying Johann Zarco would not win a MotoGP race (which he just did), and Neil for saying Fabio Di Giannantonio was not good enough to keep his seat (which he obviously is, as his podium demonstrates). David, Neil, and Adam dive into the effects this race had on the championship, whether Jorge Martin was brave, stupid, or both to choose the soft rear tire, and Pecco Bagnaia's incredible patience.

We give our predictions for who is going to prevail at the end of the season, and discuss why the MotoGP race was canceled, and why it is impossible to move the date of the race to a more amenable time of the year. Plus winners and losers from the weekend.

The subject of the latest RNF Unlocked Podcast deals with the repercussions of crashes: how do the CrypoDATA RNF MotoGP team prepare for technical disaster and how do they cope with worst case scenarios in terms of tackling the Grand Prix programme? Spares, stock, repairs, psychological cost? Team Manager Wilco Zeelenberg and Logistics Co-ordinator Carl ‘Stan’ Meakin lift the lid.

To discuss MotoGP fan culture, we went to the country that boasts of one of the biggest MotoGP fan bases in the world: Indonesia! The latest RNF Unlocked podcast sees Team Principal Razlan Razali and host Neil Morrison quiz local fans Erin and Eris about why the sport is so popular in their country, and what the sport can do to grow its fanbase.

Sunday proved to be a fascinating day in the 2023 MotoGP season. Jorge Martin went from leading to losing the championship, while Pecco Bagnaia rode one the best races of his career to take victory. As the dust settled, Adam Wheeler, Neil Morrison, and David Emmett gathered to debate why Martin crashed, how Bagnaia won, what difference the medium rear made, Fabio Quartararo's revival, a rider union, and much more.

With MotoGP about to go into hyperdrive, and six races in seven weeks, Steve English, Neil Morrison and David Emmett look ahead to the Indonesian round of MotoGP at Mandalika.

But first, there is some news to get through. Shortly after we heard that Marc Marquez was leaving Honda, KTM announced that it would be Augusto Fernandez partnering Pedro Acosta in the Tech3 GasGas team, with Pol Espargaro moved into a different role. We discuss that move, assess the championship fight between Jorge Martin and Pecco Bagnaia, and ask if Marco Bezzecchi's injury puts him out of the title fight.

Alvaro Bautista had an outstanding weekend at Portimão, winning both main races and the Superpole race, but Toprak Razgatlioglu's tenacious defence, finishing second in all three races, means the championship will still go to the final round. Steve English and Gordon Ritchie survey the state of the WorldSBK championship after the round in Portugal.

Even though we have known for a month or so that Marc Marquez is going to leave Honda, the official announcement today still came as a shock. So the Paddock Pass Podcast crew gathered to read the runes, and chew over what it means for MotoGP.

Neil Morrison, Steve English, David Emmett, and Adam Wheeler examine what effect it will have on MotoGP, why Marquez left, who will go with him, which sponsors might go with him, and what the knock-on effect on next year's rider market will be. We also have insight from former World Superbike champion and TNT Sports MotoGP commentator Neil Hodgson.