Paddock Pass Podcast

Adam and Neil spoil some ‘alone time’ for Dave in his Malaysian hotel room with reactions from the ground at the Sepang International Circuit and for what was a crashy and dramatic first day of MotoGP this year. Causes, takes, aftermath. It’s all here.

Adam, David and Neil chat about the latest news in MotoGP this week but then hand the reins to Dave who has a long chat with former Yamaha MotoGP honcho Lin Jarvis on his hefty career in the sport and with the brand. Rossi? Lorenzo? 2015? Best rider he worked with? Riders he missed out on signing? Tuck in

Adam, David and Neil chat dream teams and opinions after being at the Ducati Lenovo team presentation in Italy (and as Steve grabs WorldSBK content at Jerez). Neil also wades into a chat with HRC Team honcho Alberto Puig.

Adam, David and Neil congregate in a quiet space inside the Sky TV studios in east Milan to talk about what they have seen (and heard) at the launch of the new Aprilia MotoGP line-up for 2025, including that fancy #1.

The Paddock Pass Podcast is back for 2025 and we’re kicking off our WorldSBK coverage with a look at what we’re excited by for the coming season. Once again this year Steve English, Gordon Ritchie and Speedweek.com’s Ivo Schutzbach are our boots on the ground for the Superbike World Championship and they’re ready to report on another campaign. For Episode 460 we’re looking at the topics that are interesting us the most ahead of the new season. - What has changed for BMW as Toprak Razgatlioglu looks to defend his title? - Can Alvaro Bautista recover from a tough season? - Bimota are back in WorldSBK but waht can we expect from them? - Will a return to Ducati machinery reinvigorate Scott Redding? - Will this be the last year of Jonathan Rea’s career? WorldSBK has seen some great racing in recent years but for the Paddock Pass Podcast we’re ready for another season with in-depth analysis from inside the paddock as our team of insider’s bring you all the latest news and informed opinion from the people that matter Join us for special and exclusive content on Patreon. Become a Paddock Insider for just 10 dollars a month: www.patreon.com/paddockpasspodcast Find us here: twitter.com/PaddockPassPod

Adam, David, Neil and Steve cast their votes and opinions for the best MotoGP riders of 2024 as well as their favourites of all-time Join us for special and exclusive content on Patreon. Become a Paddock Insider for just 10 dollars a month: https://www.patreon.com/paddockpasspodcast Find us here: https://twitter.com/PaddockPassPod

Adam, David, Neil and Steve get all vocal on their hits and misses, favourites moments, annoyances and overall impressions of MotoGP in 2024. Agree? Disagree? Think we’re mad? Join us for special and exclusive content on Patreon. Become a Paddock Insider for just 10 dollars a month: https://www.patreon.com/paddockpasspodcast Find us here: https://twitter.com/PaddockPassPod

Steve and Gordo get you all the latest news from the WorldSBK paddock as well as looking back on the 2024 season. We give you our top five riders of the year, our biggest disappointments and our surprising moments. Join us for special and exclusive content on Patreon. Become a Paddock Insider for just 10 dollars a month: www.patreon.com/paddockpasspodcast.

It’s the off-season, so time to get silly, and Adam, David, Neil and Steve go over their 2025 ‘takes’ based on what we saw, heard and learnt at the Barcelona test. We also discuss the KTM MotoGP predicament. Plus we have an exclusive interview with Aprilia factory teammates Maverick Viñlaes and Aleix Espargaro in which they talk braking in MotoGP. Thanks to Brembo for their help with this chat. Join us for special and exclusive content on Patreon. Become a Paddock Insider for just 10 dollars a month: https://www.patreon.com/paddockpasspodcast. Pic thanks to motogp.com

Adam, David and Steve rattle through your questions in the wake of the 2024 MotoGP season closer in Barcelona, reveal who won the Alpinestars Paddock Pass Podcast Fantasy League and talk to a special guest: MotoGP Senior Brand Manager Nuria Garcia about how and why MotoGP is evolving the brand, the new logo and reimagining the future.

Adam and Neil chat about Pecco perfection, Martinating, Marquez Mode, Winners and Losers, talking points, celebrations and lament Dave’s illness at Barcelona for the last Sunday race wrap of 2024! We also grab time with record holder David Alonso!

Adam, David and Neil are joined by the exceptionally knowledgeable Peter Bom at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya to talk about the championship decider at the SolidarityGP, how riders cope with pressure, how tyres could be the lottery factor in Catalunya and a host of other topics

Bumper episode this week as Adam, David, Neil and Steve talk about the 2024 MotoGP finale and some of their thoughts on a possible outcome (as well as previous last round showdowns). Daniele Romagnoli and Cristian Gabarrini, Jorge Martin and Pecco Bagnaia’s Crew Chiefs, preview the final stage of the title fight, and Adam speaks with Aleix Espargaro ahead of his closing Grand Prix as a full-time MotoGP racer.

With Neil beset with jetlag; Adam, David and Steve roam the entries from Patreon and the Paddock Pass Podcast subscribers for post-Sepang questions for this show. Some interesting topics on the table! Join us for special and exclusive content on Patreon. Become a Paddock Insider for just 10 dollars a month: https://www.patreon.com/paddockpasspodcast Find us here: https://twitter.com/PaddockPassPod

Adam, David and a Sepang-based Neil get together to talk about the latest swing in the twilight stages of 2024 MotoGP, the furnace of Malaysia where the pressure was acute and the implications of another engaging episode of this year’s championship.

After the serious flooding in Valencia, the final round of the MotoGP season is in some doubt. Neil is joined by Peter McLaren to discuss the ramifications of this week’s terrible events on the championship, and the likelihood a race taking place at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit in a fortnight’s time. Could there be an alternative circuit? Or an alternative date? What do the riders want to do? And how did the two title contenders fare when faced with the press?

On this week's Thailand Grand Prix Discussion show we talk about Pecco Bagnaia's performance and whether Sunday's win was up there with his best, and whether he can count on any support from his fellow Ducati men in the two races that remain. We also look at KTM and ask is it the bike or the riders that perform well in slippery conditions and a host of other topics are covered. We also preview Sepang to talk about the Maniac's return to MotoGP. Join us for special and exclusive content on Patreon. Become a Paddock Insider for just 10 dollars a month: www.patreon.com/paddockpasspodcast Find us here: twitter.com/PaddockPassPod

It was a wet and slightly wild one for round eighteen of 2024 MotoGP at the Chang International Circuit. Adam, David and Neil go over the talking points from Buriram as the championship ‘rack’ winds on a few notches. Join us for special and exclusive content on Patreon. Become a Paddock Insider for just 10 dollars a month: https://www.patreon.com/paddockpasspodcast Find us here: https://twitter.com/PaddockPassPod

Adam and Neil have been getting clammy at the Chang International Circuit as the eighteenth round of 2024 cranks up the heat and two titles are still on the line. The Paddock Pass Podcast crew are joined by top journalist and good egg, Peter McLaren, to chat about the initial buzz at Thailand (no, not the mosquitos)… If you'd like to listen to our full Paddock Notes show sign up as a Paddock Insider at Patreon.com/PaddockPassPodcast

Is Toprak's WorldSBK title the most unexpected in the history of the series? Steve and Gordo look back at the final round of the 2024 campaign and Toprak Razgalioglu's confirmation as the Superbike World Champion for the second time. The Turkish rider is now unquestionably the best rider on the grid but what makes him special? We grabbed Phil Marron and Kenan Sofuglu to talk about when they believed they could win the title and the mentality of Toprak. Kenan's insight is very interesting as he talks about positivity rather than aggression being the key to winning in motorcycle racing. Steve also reminds Gordo of what we expected from Toprak back in January when they went to the the Spanish venue for pre-season testing. With Nicolo Bulega winning two races and Alvaro Bautista suffering another crash the future of Ducati is also a talking point. Who's the team leader for the red bikes in 2025? Alex Lowes' successful campaign is discussed as is the toughest season of Jonathan Rea's career. The show wraps up with title talk in WorldSSP, WorldSSP300 and the WorldWCR series

The malaise from Motegi was carried away by the Phillip Island breeze for what was another enthralling chapter of 2024 MotoGP. A little bit more tension with just three rounds to go this season. Here are the talking points from Australia with a time-pressed Neil in the Media Centre and a sleep-deprived Adam and David trying their best! Join us for special and exclusive content on Patreon. Become a Paddock Insider for just 10 dollars a month: https://www.patreon.com/paddockpasspodcast Find us here: https://twitter.com/PaddockPassPod Pic by www.motogp.com

Adam catches Neil, post evening-scoff in Cowes, Phillip Island, to talk about the news and comments from the first day of activity in Australia and Neil also has a chat with a special guest: Chris Vermeulen. To listen to the full show and get loads more content then join us here: https://www.patreon.com/paddockpasspodcast

After the closest finish in WorldSBK history, just 0.003s, the title fight between Toprak Razgatlioglu and Nicolo Bulega will go to the final round of the year. With 46 points seperating the duo Toprak needs to finish in third position on Saturday to clinch his second title. The Turkish rider held a media debrief at the Jerez Circuit today and as ever Steve, Gordo and Ivo were on had to dissect the news. Toprak is relaxed and ready to win and you can hear what he had to say on today's pod. We are also joined by Kawasaki's Alex Lowes as he walks through the media centre. The Phillip Island racer talks about his highlights of the season.

The Paddock Pass Podcast discusses a few talking points after the brief hiatus in the MotoGP calendar (BSB, rebranding, the Chinese Way) and ahead of one of the most anticipated Grands Prix of the season. We reminisce about Phillip Island and offer our predictions ahead of the championship run-in. Join us for special and exclusive content on Patreon. Become a Paddock Insider for just 10 dollars a month: https://www.patreon.com/paddockpasspodcast Find us here: https://twitter.com/PaddockPassPod Chapters 00:00 – Intro and an update on Neil’s diet 04:30 – Great racing? BSB and other comparisons 10:45 – Bye Bye QJ? 14:30 – MotoGP rebranding 19:50 – Phillip Island fuss! 26:30 – PI memories 35:30 – Australia predictions 39:45 – Alpinestars Fantasy League & Neil’s gaff

Adam and David disturb Neil in his downtown Tokyo malaise to chat the last ebbs of the Japanese Grand Prix and wade through the latest questions from listeners (some juicy ones as well)

Adam and David call Neil in Motegi to go over the news and talking points from a static Japanese Grand Prix where the numbers went up for one rider, mistakes carried a heavy cost and we saw one major celebration.

Neil is joined by a special guest for the first Paddock Notes show of the weekend: MotoGP commentator Matt Birt. As well as talking energy levels and early impressions of Japan, the pair addressed title race and gauged whether Jorge Martin really is a different championship animal this year. KTM's decision to go with Aki Ajo for their MotoGP project in future years, Marc Marquez's potential this weekend and Honda's huge Grand Prix were also topics for discussion. Sign up to become a Paddock Insider on Patreon to get the full episode, and the rest of our Paddock Notes shows every Grand Prix weekend https://www.patreon.com/posts/paddock-notes-113278148?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link

Toprak Razgatlioglu made his return to WorldSBK, Alvaro Bautista returned to form and Andrea Iannone returned to winning ways at the Aragon Round of WorldSBK. It was an incredible weekend where everywhere you turned there was another storyline to follow.

Swinging pendulums, all sorts of ‘pressures’, fans and no-fans(?), perfection and perdition. Quite a bit then. Adam, David and Neil bring you the Paddock Pass Podcast’s take on round fifteen of 2024 MotoGP. Turn up the heat.

Back to back rounds create a unique challenge. Co-ordinating recording is always a difficult task as we travel from one country to the next but for our review of the Cremona WorldSBK Round we decided to wait until we were assembled in Motorland Aragon. An added benefit of this is that we can recap the Italian action and grab five minutes with the riders as they go about their Thursday media duties. Danilo Petrucci was the star of the show at Round 9 and the Barni Ducati rider joins us to talk about winning, how his style of riding evolved from childhood and what it meant to win again after his training crash in April. He wasn't the only Ducati rider to appear as we grabbed Alvaro Bautista to talk about his Superpole struggles and whether he can still be a title contender. Adrian Huertas also stopped by to give us his thoughts on moving to Moto2 in 2025. The return of Toprak Razgatlioglu is the biggest story in Aragon and we couldn't record without getting ten minutes with the Superbike Superstar. After initially being rebuffed by BMW Toprak sat down with Steve and Gordo for ten minutes to talk about his injury, the frustrations of watching from home and his excitement of getting back to work!

The dust has settled on the controversial MotoGP race in Emilia Romagna, and we clarify a few things regarding Enea Bastianini's ruthless last lap pass on Jorge Martin. Plus we answer some of your questions from Patreon, including whether Martin and Pecco Bagnaia are making more mistakes for title contenders than regular years, and we have an exclusive chat with Yamaha's Massimo Meregalli on Yamaha's V4 development. Join us for special and exclusive content on Patreon. Become a Paddock Insider for just 10 dollars a month: www.patreon.com/paddockpasspodcast Find us here: x.com/PaddockPassPod And here: @the-paddock-pass-podcast Thanks to Renthal Street, KTM and Fly Racing for the support!

Adam, David and Neil battle a suspect mic connection or two to try and wrap their heads around a dramatic second Grand Prix at Misano. Ducati talk, acceptable limits, ‘moments’, winners and losers and more

Miserable Misano on the first day of activity at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix but still plenty of news floating around and cause for opinion. What are your thoughts on the Miller signing? The Yamaha V4? The Hungarian Grand Prix and the wet ashes of 2015?

Uh-oh. It’s another 2015 special! Valentino Rossi is in the news once again for comments on his relations with old foe Marc Marquez. Steve, David and Neil analyse the Italian’s comments and whether they’re entirely valid and if they could have any effect on this year’s title fight, considering Marc is currently fighting Rossi’s prodigy. We also preview the upcoming Emilia Romagna Grand Prix and ask if the weather could once well play into Marquez’s hands. Will Bagnaia have an answer? And is there any chance of Pedro Acosta or Brad Binder getting on a par with the Ducatis? Plus we talk the Repsol-Honda split, Yamaha’s potential new direction and mention WorldSBK’s first trip to Cremona, which is also coming up this weekend. Join us for special and exclusive content on Patreon. Become a Paddock Insider for just 10 dollars a month: www.patreon.com/paddockpasspodcast Find us here: x.com/PaddockPassPod And here: @the-paddock-pass-podcast Thanks to Renthal Street, KTM and Fly Racing for the support!

The French Round of WorldSBK saw Toprak Razgatlioglu, Alvaro Bautista and Jonathan Rea all ruled out through injury. What lessons can be learned from Toprak's crash and what can we expect from upcoming rounds of WorldSBK. On track there was a popular winner with Michael van der Mark putting his pains of multiple injuries behind him to win again before Nicolo Bulega enjoyed a perfect Sunday. Is the Italian actually a title threat for Toprak now? Steve, Gordo and Ivo debate the merits of a title battle while also looking at the improved fortunes of Honda and the rider market moves being made in the Superbike Paddock. As a thank you to our Patreon supporters we have early access to this weeks Superbike pod so check out Patreon.com/PaddockPassPodcast to sign up! If you sign up as an Annual Paddock Insider you'll also enter our draw for two paddock passes to a MotoGP of your choice!

There was more being sampled at the Misano MotoGP than just new bike parts and a Michelin front tyre... Radio communication is upon us in the premier class and Neil and Dave are here to discuss whether it's a good thing for the sport, and whether it would have saved Jorge Martin's race on Sunday. As ever the Paddock Pass Podcast gives you the chance to have your MotoGP questions answered. So, we select the best questions from our Patreon page after each Grand Prix weekend to give you the answers to MotoGP's burning questions! On today's show we talk strategy for Martin, Marc Marquez' ability to build a team around him, the state of play for Sergio Garcia in Moto2 and much more! Join us for special and exclusive content on Patreon. Become a Paddock Insider for just 10 dollars a month: www.patreon.com/paddockpasspodcast Find us here: https://x.com/PaddockPassPod And here: https://soundcloud.com/the-paddock-pass-podcast Thanks to Renthal Street, KTM and Fly Racing for the support!

David and Neil avoid the pitlane and stay firmly on track to bring you their opinions and talking points from round thirteen of MotoGP and another twist in a narrowing 2024 championship tale.

Neil and David are joined by expert Spanish journalist Manuel Pecino for early impressions of the Gran Premio Di San Marino including further reaction to the Bagnaia-Marquez clash, Pramac Yamaha’s new signing, Dorna Sports’ whopping new agreement with the FIM, Trackhouse Aprilia’s new direction and predictions for this weekend….

The midweek show means answering Patreon questions, so David, Neil and Steve sink their teeth into the Alex Márquez vs Pecco Bagnaia crash, Aprilia's grip woes, the track conditions, Marc Márquez' winning emotions, and Jorge Martin's impressive race. Did Alex take out Pecco on purpose? Should Marc have been more excited? What happened to the Aprilias? And will Misano see a Ducati clean sweep? Remember to sign up to become a Patreon Paddock Insider for a chance to win two paddock passes and of course access to the Paddock Notes show and so much extra bonus content. https://www.patreon.com/posts/competition-time-110957463

Adam, David and Neil find a cosy place in the MotorLand Media Centre to chew over the various heavyweight talking points from the twelfth round of 2024 MotoGP. Agree? Disagree? Get on Twitter or Discord and let us know

Adam, David and Neil are joined by the irrepressible font of superior knowledge that is Data Technician/Former Crew Chief and Podcaster Peter Bom for a first take of news and opinion from the GoPro Grand Prix of Aragon. New asphalt, goodbye Taka/hello Chantra, Yamaha’s situ and more…

The full crew are on this latest Paddock Pass Podcast where David gets a few scoops from Monster Energy Yamaha race team management, and all four journalists – Adam, Dave, Neil and Steve – reveal the things they’d like to change about MotoGP as well as their opinions on the Grand Prix of Aragon coming up this weekend Join us for special and exclusive content on Patreon. Become a Paddock Insider for just 10 dollars a month: https://www.patreon.com/paddockpasspodcast Find us here: https://twitter.com/PaddockPassPod

David has been to KTM, Neil has interviewed Ai Ogura on MotoGP, Honda, Moto2 and more, Steve has come back from the golf course and Adam is AWOL with his book but here is the latest show with exclusive content and some excellent questions from Patreon subscribers. Join us for special and exclusive content on Patreon. Become a Paddock Insider for just 10 dollars a month: https://www.patreon.com/paddockpasspodcast Find us here: https://twitter.com/PaddockPassPod Chapters 00:00 – Introduction and Dave’s trip to KTM 05:15 – Rider of the week Poll 05:45 – Have Trackhouse improved over RNF? 12:12 – Interviewing Ai Ogura 31:40 – Marc Marquez is the bigger draw than anyone else? 33:30 – Too much Marquez hype? 35:15 – Ducati GP23 vs GP24 and where can they level? 37:40 – Rider movements for 2025 and failing Fermin? 46:00 – Teams dealing with riders? 47:45 – Marquez and Bagnaia in 2025? A match made in… 50:00 – Japanese dry patch 52:00 – The timing of Jorge Martin’s move to Aprilia 55:55 – The age of MotoGP fans and the spread of the sport

The 2024 Grand Prix of Austria is now part of the ether but Adam, David and Neil drummed up the enthusiasm to delve into a brilliant performance from a static affair, give their evaluation of the latest visit to Red Bull Ring and more

Adam, David and Neil are joined by GPMag’s Thomas Baujard to talk about the Ai Ogura/Trackhouse Racing confirmation, Jack Miller’s future, test riders and more from a sunny and scenic media centre setting at the Red Bull Ring

Is there anything Toprak Razgatlioglu can't do? We're still waiting for a challenge he can't meet in 2024 and with 13 wins on the spin the Turkish superstar has once again proved himself. His Portimao weekend was a tough one with struggles in Race 1 and a wingless BMW for Race 2. He showed his fighting spirit to keep winning and left Steve and Gordo pondering his place in history and whether we can make comparisons to past Superbike Superstars

Adam, David and Neil are joined by Austrian journalist Markus Zörweg from Motorsport Magazin to talk about the Red Bull Ring and how the circuit came to be. We also chat winning trends and why the crowds always flock to Spielberg Join us for special and exclusive content on Patreon. Become a Paddock Insider for just 10 dollars a month: https://www.patreon.com/paddockpasspodcast Find us here: https://twitter.com/PaddockPassPod Chapters 00:00 – Introduction and Dave’s thoughts on the KTM 1290 SUPER ADVENTURE compared to his BMW 06:45 – Chat about Collin Veijer’s Moto2 deal 13:30 – Red Bull Ring circuit thoughts 17:40 – It all happens in Spielberg! 21:10 – Red Bull Ring could have been bigger?! 27:00 – Why so popular? 32:00 – The chicane 35:00 – F1 at Red Bull Ring (Dave briefly loses his mind) 42:30 – Predictions!

Adam, David and Neil have a diverse collection of questions from listeners for this week’s show: Silverstone attendance, rider movements, liveries, Simon Crafar and more.

Who sunk, who flew, who crashed and who blew? Get the lowdown on the Monster Energy British Grand Prix as Adam, David and Neil sit down in the Silverstone Media Centre on Sunday evening to go through their takes and more from round ten of 2024 MotoGP Join us for special and exclusive content on Patreon. Become a Paddock Insider for just 10 dollars a month: https://www.patreon.com/paddockpasspodcast Find us here: https://twitter.com/PaddockPassPod

First Paddock Pass Podcast Notes show from Silverstone and we discuss British Grand Prix memories with Mat Oxley as well as take our picks of the 75th anniversary liveries!