With Jonathan Rea finally beating Alvaro Bautista in the WorldSBK race at Imola, Steve English and Gordon Ritchie had plenty to talk about in episode 102 of the Paddock Pass Podcast. First of all, they dive into the question of why it was that Rea managed to outclass Bautista at Imola, and whether it was the track or the conditions or Bautista's lack of familiarity with the track.

They discuss Chaz Davies' adaptation to the Ducati Panigale V4R, and what the difference was at Imola compared to earlier races. As they recorded the podcast on Sunday morning before the race was canceled, they discuss how difficult Imola is as a circuit, and how tricky it can be in the wet. They touch on Tommy Bridewell filling in for the sadly injured Eugene Laverty, which leads into a further discussion of the V4R, and even presage today's announcement by the FIM that the Endurance World Championship will allow the bike to be raced in the championship, opening up the possibility of racing at the Suzuka 8 Hour race.

They talk about Kawasaki and Yamaha, and the battle between Leon Haslam, Michael van der Mark, and Toprak Razgatlioglu. They then go on to talk about the situation at Kawasaki, and where the ZX-10RR stands at the moment. There's a discussion of who will be alongside Jonathan Rea next year, and an examination of just how strong Rea was at Imola. And they finish up with an interview with Kawasaki rider Leon Haslam.

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