The Race MotoGP Podcast

MotoGP’s 2026 pre-season is over, so with the shakedown and two main tests complete and the season-opening Thai Grand Prix looming next weekend, who’s got most (and least) to smile about? Simon Patterson, Val Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer debate that as The Race MotoGP Podcast delves into both the data and the vibes from the final days of winter running. Enjoy a 7-day free trial to The Race Members' Club: Sign up to our motorbike-only Riders tier on Patreon for our 2015 revisited series, ad-free listening and more. Follow the Race Moto channel on ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠Check out our latest videos on ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

MotoGP is dropping one of its most iconic and beloved tracks as Phillip Island loses the Australian Grand Prix to the Adelaide street track. But is it really feasible to make Adelaide MotoGP-safe, and is the long game actually to take the race somewhere else entirely? Simon has some very strong views on it all. And as well as a circuit dropping out of MotoGP, we're also looking at which riders might be squeezed out (and who'll replace them) as we tackle the latest batch of The Race Members' Club's questions about the big 2027 moves and machinations. Enjoy a 7-day free trial to The Race Members' Club: Sign up to our motorbike-only Riders tier on Patreon for our 2015 revisited series, ad-free listening and more. Follow the Race Moto channel on ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠Check out our latest videos on ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is Ducati taking a huge risk in potentially putting Pedro Acosta alongside Marc Marquez for 2027, especially when it still has Fermin Aldeguer on its books too? Why has Ducati never seemed interested in Fabio Quartararo? Would Pecco Bagnaia be making a huge mistake if he picked Yamaha over Aprilia? Those are just some of the many, many questions from The Race Members’ Club that Val Khorounzhiy, Simon Patterson and Matt Beer tackle as The Race MotoGP Podcast answers your queries and points about the headlines of the wild 2027 rider market so far. And we delve into the philosophy of the paddock deals and how they’re communicated too, exploring everything from how and why leaks to the media happen, what salaries different teams might offer and why riders and teams seem so determined to commit to long term contracts way earlier than appears sensible. Enjoy a 7-day free trial to The Race Members' Club: Sign up to our motorbike-only Riders tier on Patreon for our 2015 revisited series, ad-free listening and more. Follow the Race Moto channel on ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠Check out our latest videos on ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

MotoGP 2026 roared into life with the three-day pre-season test at Sepang, set against the backdrop of more and more dramatics on the rider market. The Race MotoGP Podcast panel of Matt Beer, Simon Patterson and Val Khorounzhiy delve into the testing action, with analysis of long run pace and peak laptimes and the feedback from teams and riders. Has Ducati successfully safeguarded its MotoGP dominance? Are Aprilia and Marco Bezzecchi the only credible threat? And how much can be read into Pecco Bagnaia and particularly Alex Marquez having the initial upper hand over champion Marc Marquez? Plus, what's the latest on Bagnaia's future - with him sounding increasingly resigned to a Ducati exit for 2027? We also check in on Yamaha, with its mid-test 'hiatus' eventually resolved and a performance picture starting to form, including for somewhat frustrated rookie Toprak Razgatlioglu. Enjoy a 7-day free trial to The Race Members' Club: Sign up to our motorbike-only Riders tier on Patreon for our 2015 revisited series, ad-free listening and more. Follow the Race Moto channel on ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠Check out our latest videos on ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The first days of 2026 MotoGP testing have been dominated by talk of who's going where for 2027. There's a LOT for Val Khorounzhiy, Simon Patterson and Matt Beer to unpack as The Race MotoGP Podcast dives into Fabio Quartararo, Jorge Martin, Pedro Acosta and Alex Marquez's big likely moves plus how Marc Marquez could blow it all apart and why Marco Bezzecchi just got married to a motorbike. Enjoy a 7-day free trial to The Race Members' Club: Sign up to our motorbike-only Riders tier on Patreon for our 2015 revisited series, ad-free listening and more. Follow the Race Moto channel on ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠Check out our latest videos on ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A pleasing but not-that-different MotoGP 2026 livery took centre stage in Ducati’s launch event ahead of its latest title defence - but there was a lot more to dig into from behind-the-scenes at its presentation. Senior figures shed some light on the hotly-anticipated GP26 and its main areas of design focus, while Marc Marquez offered a fresh update on his ongoing recovery from the shoulder injury that forced him out of the final races of 2025 and the post-season test. The big news, however, is that Ducati and Marquez are making no secret of the fact they’re moving fast on a new MotoGP contract - while the factory future of team-mate Pecco Bagnaia looks as open as ever. Join The Race Members' Club: Sign up to our motorbike-only Riders tier on Patreon for our 2015 revisited series, ad-free listening and more. Follow the Race Moto channel on ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠Check out our latest videos on ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

MotoGP is another step closer to the start of its 2026 campaign with the start of the ‘launch season’, with team presentation events held by Yamaha satellite team Pramac, Ducati satellite team VR46 and the works Aprilia team. Simon Patterson was on-site for all three across three days, and joins Valentin Khorounzhiy for a special edition of The Race MotoGP Podcast to discuss the teams’ presentations and outlooks for 2026. From Aprilia’s ongoing quest to find a title sponsor and admission that rival firms are chasing its riders with big-money offers, to Toprak Razgatlioglu’s debut in Pramac colours and VR46’s tweaked look, Simon and Val discuss the first MotoGP storylines of the year. Join The Race Members' Club: Sign up to our motorbike-only Riders tier on Patreon for our 2015 revisited series, ad-free listening and more. Follow the Race Moto channel on ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠Check out our latest videos on ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The 2026 MotoGP roster isn't all that different to how it looked last year - and the teams are all the same - but there's a lot of reason to feel differently about many of the pairings. The Race MotoGP Podcast panel of Matt Beer, Simon Patterson, Valentin Khorounzhiy and Megan White try to articulate those feelings - in the tried-and-tested form of a line-up ranking. They also discuss the news of a significant leg injury to Ducati sophomore Fermin Aldeguer on the eve of the season. Join The Race Members' Club: Sign up to our motorbike-only Riders tier on Patreon for our 2015 revisited series, ad-free listening and more. Follow the Race Moto channel on ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠Check out our latest videos on ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our usual end-of-year tradition at The Race MotoGP Podcast continues in 2025, as we select our aggregate top 10 of the riders in the premier class this season. Did all the race winners make the cut? How do we grade Pecco Bagnaia's season? Who comes out on top in the insanely close fight for second? And is Marc Marquez a unanimous first? Plus, we discuss why Marquez's dominance hasn't resonated outside of MotoGP as much as it should have. Join The Race Members' Club: Sign up to our motorbike-only Riders tier on Patreon for our 2015 revisited series, ad-free listening and more. Follow the Race Moto channel on ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠Check out our latest videos on ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ahead of his MotoGP race debut in 2026, three-time World Superbike champion Toprak Razgatlioglu faces a weight of immediate expectation most rookies are spared from. Val Khorounzhiy is joined by Simon Patterson - who just spoke to Razgatlioglu at the FIM Awards end-of-year event in Lausanne - to discuss the Turk’s start to life in MotoGP, while we also hear from the man himself in one of the first interviews he’s given since beginning his premier-class test programme. What does Razgatlioglu expect in 2026? What is he currently working on? What does he make of the argent fan reaction to his controversial Jerez title showdown with his friend Nicolo Bulega - and what state does he leave World Superbikes in? Plus, we hear from the final-for-now MotoE champion Alessandro Zaccone and discuss why the series is not going into its eighth season next year. Join The Race Members' Club: Sign up to our motorbike-only Riders tier on Patreon for our 2015 revisited series, ad-free listening and more. Follow the Race Moto channel on ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠Check out our latest videos on ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The 2027 rule changes mean MotoGP riders and teams are going to have to take massive early punts with their next deals. It’s kicking off already with reports that Pedro Acosta’s camp is already angling to get him onto a factory Ducati, but that certainly won’t be the only pre-Christmas plotting going on. Simon Patterson, Val Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer convene on The Race MotoGP Podcast to discuss that Acosta/Ducati possibility, where the resurgent Honda fits into the rider market machinations and who we really think deserves nice sweet-handling Aprilia and a reassuring hug from Massimo Rivola. BLACK FRIDAY: Get 50% off your first month when you sign up to our motorbike-only Riders tier on Patreon for our 2015 revisited series, ad-free listening and more. Follow the Race Moto channel on ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠Check out our latest videos on ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Yamaha is embarking on a bold new chapter with its V4 engine - but how hard should it work to make sure Fabio Quartararo is part of that chapter? The Race MotoGP Podcast crew (Matt Beer, Simon Patterson and Valentin Khorounzhiy) tackles this question as part of a major Yamaha overview, and also field questions about the impact of Marc Marquez's absence on the end of the 2025 season in this Q&A special. Also discussed is Jorge Lorenzo's new coaching partnership with Maverick Vinales and a truly bewildering recent claim from the series boss about MotoGP racing on street circuits. BLACK FRIDAY: Get 50% off your first month when you sign up to our motorbike-only Riders tier on Patreon for our 2015 revisited series, ad-free listening and more. Follow the Race Moto channel on ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠Check out our latest videos on ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The traditional post-season MotoGP test at Valencia effectively kicked off the 2026 season, so Matt Beer has made an exhausted and hungry Simon Patterson and Val Khorounzhiy join him for an extra edition of The Race MotoGP Podcast to talk about it. Toprak Razgatlioglu’s public MotoGP debut and some particularly eye-catching Aprilia developments - some with a clear eye on the 2027 rule changes - feature strongly, as well as the vibes erstwhile title rivals Pecco Bagnaia and Jorge Martin were giving as they put their horrible 2025s behind them. Plus the story behind the surprise appearance of the latest Valentino Rossi protege. Want more MotoGP podcast content? Sign up to our motorbike-only Riders tier on Patreon for our 2015 revisited series, ad-free listening and more. Follow the Race Moto channel on ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠Check out our latest videos on ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Marc Marquez’s absence might make the end of the 2025 MotoGP season a deceptive picture, but Aprilia’s Valencia Grand Prix 1-2 and Ducati’s general woes since its new champion was hurt make for an intriguing winter. The Race MotoGP Podcast’s Simon Patterson, Val Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer debate how seriously we should take Aprilia’s late-2025 form and Ducati’s fluctuations since Marquez was hurt. Franco Morbidelli is one of those riders Ducati has to have big question marks over - was his bizarre crash on the grid at Valencia a last straw for his long-term career? We debate that plus the first serious criticism for Simon Crafar’s stewarding regime and where MotoGP should actually hold its season finale. FREE WEEK: Want to try before you buy on our bonus MotoGP content? You can view new content published on Patreon for FREE until the end of Tuesday 11th November Follow the Race Moto channel on ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠Check out our latest videos on ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Marco Bezzecchi and Aprilia stole the show again in MotoGP, continuing their remarkable late-season run with an emphatic victory in the Portuguese Grand Prix at Portimao. But while Bezzecchi deserves to be seen as a legitimate challenger to Marc Marquez’s dominance coming into 2026, can the same be said about an ever-improving Pedro Acosta and a resurgent KTM - despite the fact they still cannot win? Val Khorounzhiy and Simon Patterson discuss this in an on-site episode, while also touching upon a potent Alex Marquez weekend that was just short of greatness, another 2025 low for Pecco Bagnaia and Nicolo Bulega’s eye-catching debut. Plus, was the stewards’ panel too lenient on Fermin Aldeguer - and what was going on with Joan Mir? FREE WEEK: Want to try before you buy on our bonus MotoGP content? You can view new content published on Patreon for FREE until the end of Tuesday 11th November Follow the Race Moto channel on ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠Check out our latest videos on ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ducati's World Superbike star Nicolo Bulega is making his MotoGP debut in Portimão in relief of the injured Marc Marquez - and, even beyond him replacing the champion, it's more significant than your usual stand-in call-up. But does Bulega, who will be part of Ducati's MotoGP test team next year, have a real shot at a MotoGP future? And what does he need to show this weekend and in the season finale in Valencia? Valentin Khorounzhiy and Simon Patterson preview this Ducati debut, before naming five other riders you should watch closely over the final two rounds of the campaign - all of whom face an urgency to go into next season in better form. FREE WEEK: Want to try before you buy on our bonus MotoGP content? You can view new content published on Patreon for FREE until the end of Tuesday 11th November Follow the Race Moto channel on ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠Check out our latest videos on ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’ve been reliving MotoGP’s extraordinary 2015 season all year long in The Race Members’ Club and have reached the big flashpoints - the trilogy of the Phillip Island accusations, Sepang clash and Valencia penalty that turned Valentino Rossi and Marc Marquez’s simmering tension into an explosion that still echoes around MotoGP a decade on. We’ve done bonus-length in-depth episodes about both Phillip Island and Sepang, and you can get a taste of them here in the main The Race MotoGP Podcast feed with these clips from those episodes, as Simon Patterson, Megan White, Val Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer debate how Rossi revealed his Phillip Island conspiracy theory and what actually happened in the crucial Sepang collision. JOIN THE RACE MEMBERS' CLUB TODAY! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pecco Bagnaia’s yo-yo MotoGP 2025 season was back on the up at the Malaysian Grand Prix - at least until a puncture intervened - while Alex Marquez had even more to celebrate, but everything at Sepang was overshadowed by a terrible pre-race Moto3 accident involving champion Jose Antonio Rueda and Noah Dettwiler. Simon Patterson joins Matt Beer to report from the paddock with what we know about the crash, aftermath and paddock reactions to it. Bagnaia’s latest swings, the significance of Alex Marquez’s second place in the championship, Aprilia’s dramatic slump, Pedro Acosta falling foul of a new rule and Fabio Quartararo’s new Yamaha ultimatums are all debated too. Want more MotoGP podcast content? Sign up to our motorbike-only Riders tier on Patreon for our 2015 revisited series, ad-free listening and more. Follow the Race Moto channel on ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠Check out our latest videos on ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ducati had its worst MotoGP race since 2021 in the Australian Grand Prix sprint, while Aprilia dominated the whole weekend - with works rider Marco Bezzecchi and Trackhouse’s Raul Fernandez splitting the race victories. So is the Aprilia now the best bike in MotoGP? Is it the bike to beat going into 2025? Is this all a mirage created by Marc Marquez’s injury absence? Where did this Fernandez performance come from given he’d never even run in the top three in a MotoGP Sunday race until now? What would Jorge Martin be achieving on this bike if he’d been injury-free this year? Phillip Island gave Simon Patterson, Val Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer plenty to debate on The Race MotoGP Podcast. Beyond the Aprilia results, the latest Pecco Bagnaia disaster, KTM stand-in Pol Espargaro’s heroics and Yamaha’s odd weekend are all debated too. Want more MotoGP podcast content? Sign up to our motorbike-only Riders tier on Patreon for our 2015 revisited series, ad-free listening and more. Follow the Race Moto channel on ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠Check out our latest videos on ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With Marc Marquez sidelined for at least the next two grands prix, the rest of the 2025 MotoGP field heads to the Australian Grand Prix with a much clearer shot at victory in the absence of the rider who’s had them all beaten for most of the year. Who’s best placed to benefit from that? Will Fermin Aldeguer double up? Can Marco Bezzecchi overcome the inevitable penalty coming his way for Marquez’s crash? Is this a chance for Pecco Bagnaia to get Ducati back behind him? Simon Patterson and Matt Beer make their predictions for the wide open Phillip Island weekend in The Race MotoGP Podcast, with a host of leftfield potential surprise contenders in the mix too. Plus with at least three series regulars out injured (including the 2024 and ‘25 champions) does MotoGP need to take the need for substitute riders more seriously? Simon and Matt offer some solutions. Want more MotoGP podcast content? Sign up to our motorbike-only Riders tier on Patreon for our 2015 revisited series, ad-free listening and more. Follow the Race Moto channel on ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠Check out our latest videos on ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.