The Race MotoGP Podcast

Pecco Bagnaia put on a clinic in MotoGP's Japanese Grand Prix at Motegi - but was he the only real winner on a particularly drab Sunday of premier-class race action? The Race MotoGP Podcast panel of Valentin Khorounzhiy, Simon Patterson and Megan White discuss a race that never really got going, and whether Jorge Martin should be happy to only lose 11 points after crashing in qualifying. Pedro Acosta's two falls from pole trigger a conversation about the merits and shortcomings of his rookie campaign, while several The Race Members Club questions are answered - including a closer look at that Ducati GP23 'downgrade' that made headlines during the weekend. Want more MotoGP podcast content? Sign up to our motorbike-only Riders tier on Patreon for that episode, ad-free listening and more. Head to Patreon.com/therace Follow the Race Moto channel on Instagram and Twitter Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The latest swings in the 2024 title fight give The Race MotoGP Podcast panel Simon Patterson, Val Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer plenty to debate and puzzle over after the Indonesian Grand Prix. After Jorge Martin crashed from the sprint lead and Pecco Bagnaia struggled for most of the weekend yet still came away with a sprint win and a grand prix podium, The Race Members' Club asked us what on earth is going on with this title fight and why the contenders seem so incapable of consistent results. They were far from the only riders in strife at Mandalika, though, and we also look into the many other reasons why only 12 bikes made the finish on Sunday. Yet more tyre pressure angst, VR46 proteges going too easy on each other and Yamaha's sort-of-progress also feature heavily. Want extra podcast content? Join The Race Members' Club on Patreon! Head to Patreon.com/therace to activate your 7-day free trial Follow The Race on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With Jorge Martin barged aside for the race win on the final lap and Pecco Bagnaia crashing out, the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix wasn't a great one for either of MotoGP's title contenders. Should Enea Bastianini's win have stood given the manner of his last-lap move on Martin? Simon Patterson, Megan White, Valentin Khourounzhiy and Matt Beer have some differing views on that in The Race MotoGP Podcast - as did The Race Members' Club, whose questions we answer in the episode as ever. Bagnaia's crash didn't actually peeve him as much as his weird pace fluctuations before it, but what was really going on there? We delve into that too. Want more MotoGP podcast content? Sign up to our motorbike-only Riders tier on Patreon for that episode, ad-free listening and more. Head to Patreon.com/therace Follow the Race Moto channel on Instagram and Twitter Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

MotoGP's 2024 title fight is still raging on, but its 2025 season is beginning to take shape in the background - with several important developments occurring between the two Misano rounds. A positive test for a prototype new Michelin front tyre hints at a '25 introduction that would have wide-ranging consequences - including, crucially, an apparent big boost to Pecco Bagnaia, the new tyre's biggest fan of the grid. But why is Bagnaia so enamoured with it, who else is keen - and does it offer a sudden MotoGP pathway for World Superbike dominator Toprak Razgatlioglu? Plus, we discuss what factories ran in that same Misano test - and why there's talk of an impending engine freeze. Finally, we talk about MotoGP's plans for gradual implementation of in-race radio after the latest trial. Want more MotoGP podcast content? Sign up to our motorbike-only Riders tier on Patreon for that episode, ad-free listening and more. Head to Patreon.com/therace Follow the Race Moto channel on Instagram and Twitter Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Will Jorge Martin's disastrous pit decision in the San Marino Grand Prix prove decisive in the 2024 MotoGP world championship fight? At least one member of The Race MotoGP Podcast panel reckons so. Simon Patterson, Valentin Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer debate all the events of Misano from Martin's championship-lead-slashing tyre choice blunder to the implications of Marc Marquez's win for his 2024 and 2025 seasons - and for perceptions of Pecco Bagnaia. The end of the Repsol Honda era being announced on a day when there weren't even any Repsol Hondas on the grid plus Yamaha's subtle rise are also discussed as we answer plenty of questions from The Race Members' Club too. Want more MotoGP podcast content? Sign up to our motorbike-only Riders tier on Patreon for that episode, ad-free listening and more. Head to Patreon.com/therace Follow the Race Moto channel on Instagram and Twitter Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Marc Marquez is finally a MotoGP race winner again, but his utter domination of the Aragon Grand Prix weekend was slightly overshadowed by his brother Alex taking out erstwhile championship leader Pecco Bagnaia in a frightening crash. And that frightening crash split opinions in the paddock and prompted some new conspiracy theories, which Simon Patterson, Val Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer dig into on The Race MotoGP Podcast. Marc Marquez's win, how he suddenly became so fast again and what it means for his 2025 partnership with Bagnaia in the works Ducati team, are all debated too, plus whether a sensible Jorge Martin is more worrying for his rivals than the old Martin even if he's not quite as fast right now, and why Bagnaia's weekend was so bad even before the Marquez crash. Want more MotoGP podcast content? Sign up to our motorbike-only Riders tier on Patreon for that episode, ad-free listening and more. Head to Patreon.com/therace Follow the Race Moto channel on Instagram and Twitter Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With Ducati monopolising the wins and even the podium finishes so emphatically at present, The Race MotoGP Podcast throws the spotlight on the rest of the field this week. Simon Patterson and Val Khorounzhiy are tasked by Matt Beer with creating a top six ranking of the best non-Ducati riders of the 2024 season so far. Who's overcoming their equipment disadvantage most impressively, who probably should be doing a bit better even though they don't have a Ducati, and how are the riders stuck on Yamahas and Hondas actually doing? We debate all that plus how the riders at struggling manufacturers feel about their career choices and when the underdogs we're celebrating might win again. Want more MotoGP podcast content? Sign up to our motorbike-only Riders tier on Patreon for that episode, ad-free listening and more. Head to Patreon.com/therace Follow the Race Moto channel on Instagram and Twitter Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A less-than-thrilling Austrian Grand Prix meant plenty of interest in off-track MotoGP matters at the Red Bull Ring as the final pieces of the 2025 line-up jigsaw slotted into place. The reasons for Jack Miller, Miguel Oliveira, Ai Ogura and Somkiat Chantra's recently confirmed or now near-certain new deals prompted several strong questions from The Race Members' Club for Simon Patterson, Val Khorounzhiy, Megan White and Matt Beer to tackle on The Race MotoGP Podcast. The lack of excitement on track at the Red Bull Ring, whether Marc Marquez is excelling on an outdated bike or throwing away chances, and Pedro Acosta's awful weekend are also delved into. Want more MotoGP podcast content? Sign up to our motorbike-only Riders tier on Patreon for that episode, ad-free listening and more. Head to Patreon.com/therace Follow the Race Moto channel on Instagram and Twitter Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fresh from returning to MotoGP as Yamaha's stand-in rider, Remy Gardner is our special guest on this week's episode of The Race MotoGP Podcast. The 2021 Moto2 champion is characteristically open about how long his single MotoGP season with KTM brought him and offers plenty of insight into switching between World Superbikes and MotoGP with Yamaha in 2024. He also shares his thoughts on the impact good friend Pedro Acosta is making in his old MotoGP team Tech3, while answering a host of questions from The Race Members' Club. And there's an extract from our behind the scenes Silverstone special that ran in MotoGP Extra on the Members' Club, plus Simon Patterson gives his take on Toprak Razgatlioglu's astonishing World Superbike season and why he's not in MotoGP, plus the quality of racing in both WSBK and its all-female support series WorldWCR. Want more MotoGP podcast content? Sign up to our motorbike-only Riders tier on Patreon for that episode, ad-free listening and more. Head to Patreon.com/therace Follow the Race Moto channel on Instagram and Twitter Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Just when some people thought it was all over and Pecco Bagnaia was going to cruise to the 2024 MotoGP world championship, the British Grand Prix rewrote the script again. Bagnaia's sprint crash and a very sensible weekend from Jorge Martin mean a new championship leader and has Enea Bastianini's double win now made this a three-way fight? And is it problematic for Ducati that two of those three are leaving it after 2024? Simon Patterson, Valentin Khorounzhiy, Megan White and Matt Beer debate all that in this week's episode of The Race MotoGP Podcast. And they and Oliver Card - fresh from a behind-the-scenes Silverstone trip for a special episode of MotoGP Extra for The Race Members' Club - discuss another disappointing Silverstone MotoGP turnout and why an event that has so much going for it just isn't getting anywhere near Formula 1's British GP numbers. Want more MotoGP podcast content? Sign up to our motorbike-only Riders tier on Patreon for that episode, ad-free listening and more. Head to Patreon.com/therace Follow the Race Moto channel on Instagram and Twitter Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Race MotoGP Podcast is always fond of a provocative prediction, so naturally with the season about to resume for its second half at the British Grand Prix this weekend, Matt Beer tasks Simon Patterson, Valentin Khorounzhiy and wildcard guest Lewis Duncan with making some about everything that might happen on track in the rest of the season. Our panel have very different takes on how the title fight between Pecco Bagnaia and Jorge Martin might play out from here, but the disagreement gets even more vehement when it comes to Yamaha's chances of success over the rest of 2024. What Pedro Acosta, Brad Binder and the resurgent Franco Morbidelli might achieve between now and the final also prompts plenty of debate. Want more MotoGP podcast content? Sign up to our motorbike-only Riders tier on Patreon for that episode, ad-free listening and more. Head to Patreon.com/therace Follow the Race Moto channel on Instagram and Twitter Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the 2025 MotoGP rider market reaches its final stages, The Race MotoGP Podcast looks at who might be ousted from the field after 2024 and who's likely to replace them. We know Aleix Espargaro is retiring and Ducati's committed to bringing Fermin Aldeguer up from MotoGP, but what other departures and debuts are on the cards? Simon Patterson and Matt Beer are joining by wildcard pundit Lewis Duncan to debate all that, with a particular focus on what'll come out of Trackhouse next as two grand prix winners fight over its second seat alongside someone the podcast panel are VERY split over. And there's also an excerpt from our members-only MotoGP Extra special on the WorldWCR all-female series, which is coming soon. Want more MotoGP podcast content? Sign up to our motorbike-only Riders tier on Patreon for that episode, ad-free listening and more. Head to Patreon.com/therace Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aprilia boss Massimo Rivola joins The Race MotoGP Podcast for a special summer break episode. As part of an extensive chat, Rivola discusses Aprilia's signing of Jorge Martin and Marco Bezzecchi and some of the alternatives that were considered, the exits of Aleix Espargaro and Maverick Vinales and the line-up questions facing the satellite Trackhouse team. Afterwards, there is an extensive discussion between podcast regulars Matt Beer, Simon Patterson and Valentin Khorounzhiy over whether Bezzecchi deserved the nod over the likes of Enea Bastianini and Fabio Di Giannantonio, how Miguel Oliveira and Raul Fernandez compare and whether Aprilia is living up to expectations or not. Rivola also tackled a varied selection of questions from The Race Members Club for a forthcoming bonus episode. Sign up to the motorbike-only Riders tier on Patreon for that episode, ad-free listening and more. Head to Patreon.com/therace Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Just when Jorge Martin looked set to regain the 2024 MotoGP world championship fight momentum, his crash from the lead with just two laps of the German Grand Prix to go changed everything (again). Simon Patterson, Valentin Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer give their takes on why it happened, the repercussions for the title battle and whether Martin will ever change in The Race MotoGP Podcast. Last week we thought we really might be talking about Marc Marquez's first Gresini Ducati win at the Sachsenring but his weekend turned out very differently. We have plenty to say about that - and so did The Race Members' Club, whose questions now feature in all our post-race episodes. The Race Members' Club now features MotoGP content and a motorbike-only Riders tier on Patreon - offering exclusive bonus podcasts each month, ad-free episodes from our main series and the chance to have your questions answered on our post-race episodes. Head to Patreon.com/therace Follow the Race Moto channel on Instagram and Twitter Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With Pecco Bagnaia now right on Jorge Martin's tail in the MotoGP championship fight and the shadow of both Martin and Pramac's Ducati exits hanging over the rest of the season, is the 2024 title battle only going one way? That's what Simon Patterson, guest pundit Megan White and Matt Beer debate on the Dutch TT episode of The Race MotoGP Podcast - with a few interjections from Valentin Khorounzhiy from somewhere in the Styrian hills. They also discuss the huge news of Lewis Hamilton's potential arrival in MotoGP as a team owner and Marc Marquez's weird weekend - which included the return of tyre pressure penalties. That penalty system is one of many topics we're quizzed about by The Race Members' Club via Patreon as part of our new MotoGP coverage strand there. The Race Members' Club now features MotoGP content and a motorbike-only Riders tier on Patreon - offering exclusive bonus podcasts each month, ad-free episodes from our main series and the chance to have your questions answered on our post-race episodes. Head to Patreon.com/therace Follow the Race Moto channel on Instagram and Twitter Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After Ducati and KTM, it's now Aprilia that can claim it's put together a 2025 MotoGP superteam after securing Marco Bezzecchi alongside Jorge Martin in its all-new factory line-up. But as Simon Patterson, Valentin Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer debate on The Race MotoGP Podcast, while signing the second and third placed riders from the 2023 world championship looks great on paper, there are definite question marks around whether this is all going to work. We also examine all the repercussions elsewhere in the field, from what happens at Aprilia satellite team Trackhouse - whose riders get very different responses from Aprilia boss Massimo Rivola - to whether the exodus of strong satellite riders from Ducati marks a significant end of an era and also why on earth it seems Joan Mir might want to prolong his Honda stint. And the World Superbike Championship has entered the MotoGP rider market in earnest too. Are we going to see Toprak Razgatlioglu or even Andrea Iannone on the 2025 MotoGP grid? And if so, where and how would it go? We give our takes on all of that too. The Race Members' Club now features MotoGP content and a motorbike-only Riders tier on Patreon - offering exclusive bonus podcasts each month, ad-free episodes from our main series and the chance to have your questions answered on our post-race episodes. Head to Patreon.com/therace Follow the Race Moto channel on Instagram and Twitter Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It was KTM's turn to rock the MotoGP rider market this week as it announced current Ducati and Aprilia factory riders Enea Bastianini and Maverick Vinales would join its satellite team Tech3 Gas Gas for 2025. With Pedro Acosta and Brad Binder already set for the works squad, that gives KTM an extremely strong line-up to take on Ducati with next year. Or does it? Simon Patterson and Valentin Khorounzhiy have very different views on how Vinales in particular will fare at KTM as they join Matt Beer to discuss it all on The Race MotoGP Podcast. What happens next for ousted KTM pair Jack Miller and Augusto Fernandez, and who Aprilia signs to replace Vinales are also hot topics. And we delve into everything that's happening around the rest of the Ducati line-up too, where it's not just riders moving around but teams too. Joan Mir's efforts to escape Honda and top Moto2 riders' hopes of reaching MotoGP for 2025 are assessed as well, and we also reveal what we'll be up to in the new MotoGP section on The Race Members' Club, which is now available on Patreon too. Want extra MotoGP podcast content? Join The Race Members' Club on Patreon where we have an exclusive two-wheeled Riders tier. Head to Patreon.com/therace Follow the Race Moto channel on Instagram and Twitter Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Just when it seemed Ducati's 2025 MotoGP factory line-up plan was set, it was abruptly turned inside out. Now Marc Marquez is heading for a works seat and championship leader Jorge Martin is heading into the arms of Aprilia. Simon Patterson, Valentin Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer gather for an emergency extra episode of The Race MotoGP Podcast to explain what changed and why it happened so quickly, with Simon reliving how the news spread through the paddock at Mugello testing and just how fast Aprilia moved to get its man once it knew it had chance. We share your takes on what's happened and questions about the repercussions of it, covering everything from how Marquez and Pecco Bagnaia will work together (or not) in the factory Ducati team to whether Aprilia is going to live up to Martin's demands and expectations, plus all the other repercussions around Pramac, Enea Bastianini and Maverick Vinales' futures. Follow the Race Moto channel on Instagram and Twitter Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/therace Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pecco Bagnaia's double win at Mugello was a huge boost to his 2024 MotoGP championship bid. And as Simon Patterson reports from the scene as he joins Valentin Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer for The Race MotoGP Podcast, it was greeted by a more passionate crowd than the Italian Grand Prix has enjoyed in Mugello's barren years since home idol Valentino Rossi retired. So as well as discussing the impact of Bagnaia's win on his title bid, we also delve into what it all means for Italy, MotoGP and Rossi's legacy. Was Jorge Martin's combination of crash and last-lap position loss a sign of him returning to old bad habits or proof he can actually calmly sustain a title bid even on a bad weekend? And how big an equipment disadvantage is Marc Marquez up against and is he holding Ducati to ransom over 2025 or just innocently focusing on what's best for him? We debate those topics, compare Pedro Acosta to Thanos from the Marvel movies and Val wrecks his house while discussing stewarding and penalties - but his rage isn't the for the reason you might expect. Follow the Race Moto channel on Instagram and Twitter Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/therace Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pecco Bagnaia went from a bizarre final lap crash while leading MotoGP's Catalan Grand Prix sprint to pulling off a very intelligent Sunday race win that keeps things poised in the title fight. But he was just one of three riders to crash from the sprint lead - all for different reasons. And with Bagnaia, championship leader Jorge Martin and Marc Marquez finding ways to all take nearly identical points hauls from Barcelona despite having wildly contrasting weekends, this strange event gives Simon Patterson, Valentin Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer plenty to delve into on The Race MotoGP Podcast. That includes the latest round of 2025 rider market talk, with Aleix Espargaro's retirement announcement - and surprise likely next move - kicking things off, new talk of how Ducati might resolve its Martin/Marquez factory seat debate emerging and some very leftfield moves appearing in paddock speculation. Throw in Enea Bastianini protesting the stewards by ignoring their penalties and Val and Simon having a passionate argument over Yamaha's form, and there's plenty packed into the episode. Follow the Race Moto channel on Instagram and Twitter Check out our latest videos on YouTube Download our app on iOS or Android Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices