Paddock Pass Podcast

The WorldSBK series resumed at Assen after a layoff of seven weeks, and before the track action start, Steve English and Gordon Ritchie gathered to review the first two rounds and look ahead at what is to come. Steve also grabbed a few interviews, with words from Toprak Razgatlioglu on his MotoGP test at Jerez, Michael van der Mark on his home round, and Bradley Ray on making the transition from BSB to the WorldSBK stage.

With Austin in the bag, the Paddock Pass Podcast crew gather in a rental apartment in East Austin to discuss an eventful race at the Circuit of The Americas. We talk about Alex Rins remarkable victory in Texas, and hear from his crew chief, Beefy Bourgignon, on how Rins makes the difference.

We discuss the many crashes at Austin, and the most important one of all, Pecco Bagnaia crashing out while leading. We wonder about the future of the race in Austin, and where else MotoGP might head to. And we discuss Yamaha's issues at COTA, and hear from Yamaha Managing Director Lin Jarvis on why they won't be building a V4 before the rules change in 2027. And we finish up, of course, with our winners and losers.

The Paddock Pass Podcast is proud to launch a new series of shows in collaboration with the CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP Team to bring you unique insight into the highs and lows, the ins and outs of a MotoGP team. In this episode, team principal Razlan Razali and team manager Wilco Zeelenberg join David Emmett and Neil Morrison to look ahead to the Grand Prix of The Americas in Austin, Texas.

From Argentina to Austin: MotoGP heads north, so Adam Wheeler, Neil Morrison, and David Emmett take a quick look at what to expect from the Grand Prix of The Americas in Austin, Texas. Obviously we discuss the track and the layout, and who it might suit, and that leads us into a discussion of Marc Marquez, recorded before the news emerged that Marquez would not be racing in Austin.

We also discuss Toprak Razgatlioglu's test on the Yamaha M1 MotoGP bike at Jerez, and what that might mean for the future of the Turkish WorldSBK star. We run through Yamaha's options, and whether they should sign Toprak for MotoGP.

The Argentina round of MotoGP threw up a host of surprises. Two unexpected winners - Brad Binder in the Sprint race, Marco Bezzecchi in the grand prix - a return to form by Franco Morbidelli, and Pecco Bagnaia crashing out. So a lot to talk about for Steve English, Adam Wheeler, Neil Morrison, and David Emmett in the latest episode of the Paddock Pass Podcast.

The first weekend of MotoGP Sprint Races turned out to be unforgettable, in both the best and the worst meaning of the word. There were thrills, spills, crashes, injuries, and some absolutely superb racing.

With the 2023 MotoGP season on the verge of its opening race, the Paddock Pass Podcast crew gathered with a special guest to look ahead to the year. Former 500cc grand prix winner and MotoGP pit lane expert Simon Crafar joins Steve English, Adam Wheeler, Neil Morrison, and David Emmett to look back at testing and look ahead at the year to come.

As usual, we cover a huge amount of ground, and Simon Crafar gives us some spectacular insight into the mind of a racer. We walk through our biggest surprises of the preseason, who we expect to be the biggest disappointment, give our predictions for top independent rider and world champion, and give our opinions of sprint races.

With testing for the MotoGP class done and dusted, the Paddock Pass Podcast crew get together to draw conclusions from the final test at Portimão. Adam Wheeler, Steve English, Neil Morrison, and David Emmett take a long look at how testing went for the factories.

There was plenty to discuss. Are Ducati as unstoppable as they look? Has Fabio Quartararo got a bike he can fight for the championship with? What are Honda doing, and can they be competitive? And can KTM fix the lack of rear grip the RC16 suffers with?

We finish up with our winners and losers: Is a Pecco Bagnaia repeat inevitable? What's going on with Franco Morbidelli? Is Jorge Martin set for a breakthrough season?

It's a two-show week for the Paddock Pass Podcast, and in this episode, Adam Wheeler and Neil Morrison report back from the launch of the GasGas Factory Racing Tech3 presentation in Barcelona.

Adam and Neil talk us through the ramifications of the Pierer Mobility Group (KTM's parent company) choosing MotoGP to promote their brand of youth-oriented motorcycles to the general public. And they here from Pol Espargaro, Pit Beirer, and Hervé Poncharal about the aims and objectives of the project.

It's been back-to-back weekends for WorldSBK, which means back-to-back Paddock Pass Podcasts for Steve English and Gordon Ritchie. In this episode, the dynamic duo look back at a strange and difficult World Superbike round at Mandalika in Indonesia, which left them with plenty to talk about.

Steve and Gordo talk about the state of the track, and the problems - and crashes - it caused for the riders. They talk about Kawasaki's terrible weekend, another triumphant weekend for Alvaro Bautista and Ducati, and how Toprak Razgatlioglu came back to winning ways.