In latest episode of the Paddock Pass Podcast, Neil Morrison and David Emmett get together to discuss the opening MotoGP round at Qatar, and the controversy which engulfed the race, despite it being a thoroughly thrilling episode.

We naturally have to kick off with the dispute which erupted after the race over Ducati's aerodynamic parts. We take a deep dive into how the controversy developed, tracing it back from the first complaints, through the Qatar test, and on to the Qatar race. We discuss what the rules say, whether Ducati's parts are legal or not, and where the appeal submitted by four rival factories goes from here.

We have plenty to talk about in the race as well. We discuss how the race unfolded, and what it tells us about where the different factories stand. We look at Ducati (leaving aside the aero question for now), how much stronger the Honda is this year, how Cal Crutchlow came back from a potentially career-ending injury, and the incredible progress the Suzuki has made in 2019.

We also ask whether Alex Rins can be a title contender this season, and how much of an impact Joan Mir made as rookie. Naturally, we spend a fair amount of time debating whether Yamaha have made any progress at all over the winter, and whether Valentino Rossi and Maverick Viñales will be competitive this season. And finally, we finish off with our winners and losers of the race.

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