Episodes
-
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 -
Missing episodes?
-
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 -
We debate YOUR suggestions for what to change about MotoGP in the latest episode of The Race MotoGP Podcast.
And we've never had such a huge influx of listener input when we've done a callout for questions or suggestions.
With the 2027 rules freshly announced and plenty in the paddock making suggestions for what they think could be better about MotoGP regulations, organisation, officiating or promotion, your ideas covered everything from rules preventing riders remounting after crashes to MotoGP test chances for Moto2 stars to race format rejigs and electronic active suspension.
All that, and much more, is debated by Simon Patterson, Valentin Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer.
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 2024's 'big three' Jorge Martin, Pecco Bagnaia and Marc Marquez produced an absolutely epic French Grand Prix weekend at Le Mans between them.
But which of them looks most like the 2024 champion, and are two of them set to be 2025 team-mates?
Simon Patterson, Valentin Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer delve into both elements of that situation in The Race MotoGP Podcast, assessing what Le Mans told us about the trio's various strengths in the title fight and the varied scenarios around who Ducati will place where in 2025.
The future of championship leader Martin's Pramac team is another key element of that jigsaw that's discussed.
KTM's enormous reliance on Pedro Acosta, the prospect of Acosta and Martin as team-mates and Aprilia's place in both the title fight and the rider market are also delved into.
Plus Simon gives his take on the incredible French GP crowd experience and how their heroes Fabio Quartararo and Johann Zarco tackled coming to their home race on uncompetitive bikes.
Don't forget in the next episode we'll be debating YOUR ideas for how to improve MotoGP. Send them in written or voice note form to [email protected] or contact us via our MotoGP social media channels @theracemoto on X or Instagram.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
MotoGP has unveiled its new rules for 2027, with some of the current bikes' most controversial elements outlawed and others pegged back.
But has it all gone far enough and are these the right moves for the world championship?
Simon Patterson gives his initial take on the changes to engine capacity, aero allowance and concessions, plus the ban on ride-height devices, in a bumper episode of The Race MotoGP Podcast.
Plus Matt Beer invites Simon and Valentin Khorounzhiy to suggest the changes they'd each like to see - whether in the regulations, presentation or marketing of MotoGP.
And now we'd like to hear your suggestions too. Email your ideas for MotoGP changes to [email protected] in written or voice note form, or via our MotoGP social accounts @theracemoto on X or Instagram and we'll share them - and give our takes - on a future episode.
Follow the new 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 -
Ever since Marc Marquez get himself a Ducati, the MotoGP world has been waiting eagerly to see a head-to-head victory fight between him and reigning champion Pecco Bagnaia.
That's exactly what the Spanish Grand Prix became - and it was absolutely worth all the anticipation.
Does Bagnaia's defeat of Marquez show Ducati's current number one has his famous new stablemate covered? Or does the fact Marquez is so quick on a Ducati (and an old-spec one at that) already show Bagnaia will need to raise his game?
That's one of the big debates between Simon Patterson, Valentin Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer on The Race MotoGP Podcast, along with what championship leader Jorge Martin should be thinking about it all after crashing out of the race lead.
The 15-crash madness of the Jerez sprint and an extraordinary stewards' office rant by Johann Zarco also feature.
Follow the new 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 begins the European leg of its 2024 season at Jerez this weekend, and that's often when the championship takes on its defining shape.
But several riders arrive in Spain fighting for their future and several teams fighting to salvage their season already.
On this week's episode of The Race MotoGP Podcast, Matt Beer invites Simon Patterson and Valentin Khorounzhiy to nominate the riders or teams they think are in most trouble after the opening three rounds - and to assess the extent of their plight on a 1 to 5 ranking where 1 equals 'will be fine by Mugello in June' and 5 equals 'may as well write the rest of 2024 off'.
Join The Race Members Club and have a free month on us! Click here to sign up
Follow the new 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 -
Have we been wrong about Maverick Vinales all along? The man with the reputation for going backwards in MotoGP races won from 11th place at Austin with a supreme performance in an absolutely epic race.
Regular Vinales defender Valentin Khorounzhiy and regular Vinales sceptics Simon Patterson and Matt Beer therefore have plenty to debate in The Race MotoGP Podcast as they assess what Vinales achieved in the Grand Prix of the Americas, why it hasn't happened more often and whether it can keep on happening.
What Marc Marquez's season looks like from here after a crash from the lead that leaves him a distant eighth in the championship, what Pedro Acosta's latest insanely good performance means for not just the other KTMs but everyone else on the grid, Jorge Martin's title credentials and Pecco Bagnaia's odd lack of form are also delved into.
And does a race like Austin's Sunday event show modern MotoGP isn't as bad as aero critics and detractors suggest?
Join The Race Members Club and have a free month on us! Click here to sign up
Follow the new 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 -
Has Fabio Quartararo made the right decision by keeping faith with Yamaha for his MotoGP future despite all the frustrations he's endured?
Is this just a case of the money being too good to turn down or is Yamaha definitely a better prospect than Aprilia for the next phase of the 2021 world champion's career?
That's what Simon Patterson, Valentin Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer debate in part one of the latest episode of The Race MotoGP Podcast.
But that's only half the episode, as we also have an exclusive interview with MotoGP sporting director Carlos Ezpeleta about the championship's future and upcoming new rules era.
Join The Race Members Club and have a free month on us! Click here to sign up
Follow the new 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 -
Davide Brivio - architect of Yamaha's Valentino Rossi glory years and Suzuki' shock 2020 title - is back in MotoGP after his truncated Formula 1 detour, but he's not in the part of the field you might expect.
In an exclusive chat with The Race MotoGP Podcast, Brivio explains why he picked newcomer Trackhouse Racing for his return to the motorcycle racing world, and what he hopes this NASCAR-to-MotoGP wildcard can achieve in both 2024 and beyond.
And he also opens up for the first time on exactly why he thinks his switch to F1 with Alpine didn't work out.
Join The Race Members Club and have a free month on us! Click here to sign up
Follow the new 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 -
Should motorcycle racing fans be delighted or worried that a deal's in place for Formula 1 owner Liberty Media to buy MotoGP promoter Dorna?
In an extra episode, the Race MotoGP Podcast delves into what the Liberty news mean for MotoGP, as Simon Patterson, Valentin Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer look at what it's likely to mean in terms of practical reality, and address some of the concerns motorcycle fans might have based on some the F1 world's least positive impressions of Liberty.
They also outline what they want to see from the new ownership, and explain why Liberty is confident this deal can go ahead despite the fact that the last time MotoGP and F1 nearly came under the same ownership the process rapidly turned into MotoGP being sold off.
Join The Race Members Club and have a free month on us! Click here to sign up
Follow the new 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 first big flashpoint of Marc Marquez's Ducati career came in just his second MotoGP race weekend with his new employer, as he and reigning champion stablemate Pecco Bagnaia collided in the Portuguese Grand Prix.
Who was most at fault? And what does it mean for the title fight and Ducati internal relations? Simon Patterson, Valentin Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer debate that in The Race MotoGP Podcast.
We also get into Pedro Acosta's incredible podium in only his second MotoGP race weekend. Are his performances more impressive than even Marquez's (eventually title winning) rookie season? One of our panel reckons so.
Maverick Vinales' breakthrough win and weird grand prix exit, whether sprint wins really count, Jorge Martin's new maturity and title chance and Ducati's growing 2025 rider headache also feature.
Join The Race Members Club and have a free month on us! Click here to sign up
Follow the new 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 -
We're answering your questions on The Race MotoGP Podcast this week, including on the prospect of mid-season rider changes at two teams in particular.
Might KTM want Pedro Acosta in its factory line-up sooner rather than later, and if his Tech3 team-mate Augusto Fernandez's struggles continue is there a danger of him not seeing out the season?
Simon Patterson, Valentin Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer tackle those plus questions on whether a rotation system could be used to trim the calendar, how Moto2's Pirelli switch has changed the series and whether it's a good or bad thing, MotoGP's next-generation regulations and how we'd define 'natural talent' in motorcycle racers.
And with a major piece of rider market news having broken with the announcement that Ducati is definitely promoting Fermin Aldeguer into MotoGP 2025, we also explain why Ducati has so much faith in the Spanish teenager and why it can't yet say which of its teams he'll be riding for.
Click here to take our quick survey about your podcast habits and you could win £/$100 worth of Amazon vouchers
Join The Race Members Club and have a free month on us! Click here to sign up
Follow the new 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 -
Pecco Bagnaia showed exactly what he's a double MotoGP world champion by controlling the Qatar Grand Prix despite a slightly shaky qualifying and sprint.
But will this race really be remembered for the debut of another champion? Though it only resulted in ninth place in the end, Pedro Acosta's swashbuckling style on and off the track made a huge impression on The Race MotoGP Podcast panel Simon Patterson, Valentin Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer - who debate how long it'll take Acosta to win races, and whether KTM can wait to get him into its main team.
KTM and Aprilia's chances of challenging Ducati this year, how Marc Marquez's title prospects look after his Ducati race debut, and miserable weekends for a 2023 title contender and fallen giants Honda and Yamaha also come in for plenty of discussion.
Join The Race Members Club and have a free month on us! Click here to sign up
Follow the new 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's move to Gresini Ducati is a huge curveball for the 2024 MotoGP season, but will he actually be a title contender? Or will this be a repeat of last year's epic Pecco Bagnaia versus Jorge Martin battle? And either way, who'll come out on top?
The Race MotoGP Podcast gathers Simon Patterson, Valentin Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer to predict the 2024 championship order - and argue over each other's choices. As well as plenty of debate about Marquez, Bagnaia and Martin, we also discuss whether how far up the title fight pecking order Enea Bastianini's winter progress might take him, and why Marco Bezzecchi seems set for a much tougher season.
There's also plenty of chat about who's best placed among the non-Ducatis - and who we really don't expect to get anywhere near the top championship placings.
Join The Race's GridRival league and you could win $5000. Free to join. Free to play. Click here to sign up.
FEBRUARY IS FREE! Join The Race Members Club and have a free month on us! Click here to sign up
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 18 of the 22 riders on the grid out of contract at the end of the year, multiple past champions either unhappy with their current machinery or clearly in stopgap mode with their 2024 teams, and uncertainty over which brand some satellite teams will actually be with next season and what that'll mean for their line-ups, the 2025 MotoGP rider market is set to be a wild one.
But can The Race MotoGP Podcast accurately predict how it will turn out.
Simon Patterson and Val Khorounzhiy pitch their cases for Matt Beer to adjudicate on as our panel attempt to improve on the 50% success rate they had last time they tried to predict a full grid rider line-up a whole year in advance.
Who'll be on the move? Who'll reluctantly sit tight due to a lack of options? Who's heading out of MotoGP, and who's usurping them from the grid? How much will Simon and Val disagree on? Listen to find out.
FEBRUARY IS FREE! Join The Race Members Club and have a free month on us! Click here to sign up
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 -
Reigning double MotoGP world champion Pecco Bagnaia ended 2024 pre-season testing with a ferocious burst of pace in Qatar that makes him an instant strong favourite for the opening round there next month and the title itself.
But while Bagnaia has the edge and bags of confidence right now, he's far from the only rider looking strong at the end of the winter, as Simon Patterson, Val Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer discuss on the Qatar test episode of The Race MotoGP Podcast.
We look at the off-season transformation of Bagnaia's team-mate Enea Bastianini, the test form of last year's runner-up Jorge Martin and of course Ducati's superstar new signing Marc Marquez - who also answers a few of your questions in this episode.
And we assess who has the best chance of barging into the potential Ducati 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 formation, and analyse whether Yamaha and Honda are actually making any progress yet.
FEBRUARY IS FREE! Join The Race Members Club and have a free month on us! Click here to sign up
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 -
Six-time MotoGP champion Marc Marquez joins The Race MotoGP Podcast for an exclusive interview less than three weeks before his competitive debut on the Ducati.
In a candid chat with MotoGP writer Simon Patterson, Marquez discusses the short-term ambitions of his Gresini Ducati move and how everything about it is being influenced by his keen awareness of the inexorable march of time.
He sets out his targets for 2024 and emphasises the impact of his injuries on the competitive picture, while also giving his assessment of Honda's MotoGP developments since their split.
Finally, he gives his expectations for how the 2025 silly season will go for him.
FEBRUARY IS FREE! Join The Race Members Club and have a free month on us! Click here to sign up
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 one MotoGP pre-season test down and one to go, several riders go into next week's final two days of running in Qatar with significant problems to solve.
And those problems have implications beyond the season-opening Qatar Grand Prix and even the 2024 campaign too, given how wild this year's rider market is set to be.
Simon Patterson, Valentin Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer look at who's under pressure and how that pressure is multiplied by the moves teams will already be making towards their 2025 line-ups in a year when only four of the 22 riders on the grid have a contract for next season sorted.
Those 2025 prospects weigh on everything in MotoGP at the moment, with even Honda's launch of its strikingly Repsol-light new livery turning into chat about whether Marc Marquez will be back there as early as next year.
Speaking of Marc Marquez... he will be our very, very special guest for an exclusive interview on the next episode of The Race MotoGP Podcast, and we'll put some of your questions to him. Send them to [email protected] and we'll pick a selection of the best to fit into Simon's one-on-one with the seven-time MotoGP champion later this week.
FEBRUARY IS FREE! Join The Race Members Club and have a free month on us! Click here to sign up
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 - Show more
