The Race MotoGP Podcast

Pedro Acosta is FINALLY a MotoGP grand prix winner - though only after putting KTM through the agony of his sprint blunder first.

Simon and Val report from the Austrian Grand Prix on that error, that breakthrough win yet another title fight twist, as problems for Marc Marquez and a mysterious lack of Ducati pace coincided with perhaps Jorge Martin's strongest Aprilia weekend yet.

Plus we answer The Race Members' Club's questions on everything from Taka Nakagami to Brad Binder and a particularly woeful Yamaha weekend.

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Marc Marquez leads the MotoGP riders’ standings for the first time in 2026 after his Misano double win coincided with a weekend of pain for Aprilia.

Given how many races Marquez has missed, his injury struggles, and Aprilia often having the better bike, is Marquez on course for his greatest MotoGP championship win so far?

That’s one of the questions Val Khorounzhiy, Simon Patterson and Eden Hannigan debate on the San Marino Grand Prix episode of The Race MotoGP Podcast.

Plus whether Marco Bezzecchi is psychologically strong enough for the pressures of a title fight and whether Jorge Martin is just not quite as fast as he used to be - regardless of Sunday’s arm pump issues.

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Development work and access to Pirelli tyres are at the centre of a genuine row between Yamaha and its Honda-bound MotoGP factory rider Fabio Quartararo.

But does Quartararo have a point, or is he simply being petulant?

The Race MotoGP Podcast crew of Matt Beer, Val Khorounzhiy and Simon Patterson discuss the merits of Quartararo's gripe - and talk about other seasons by riders on their way out, like Brad Binder, Jack Miller and Pecco Bagnaia.

Then they give a preview of the championship run-in.

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Marc Marquez made a massive stride forward in the MotoGP title fight by winning both races at Aragon, but his 2027 Ducati team-mate Pedro Acosta gave him a few unexpected headaches along the way.

At a track where the other KTMs were miles behind, Acosta’s hassling of Marquez felt a little like a prelude to next season. But was Marquez just playing with him?

Val Khorounzhiy, Simon Patterson and Matt Beer debate that on The Race MotoGP Podcast, plus whether Marquez is having to rely too much on his specialist circuits and, if so, whether he has enough of them left to beat the Aprilias to the title.

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Who has been the best MotoGP rider of the 2026 season so far?

Val Khorounzhiy ranks every rider after each MotoGP race weekend, and he's compiled a worst-to-best ranking by awarding points to each rider for their placement every weekend.

He presents the list unedited - so it purely reflects where each rider has placed in his rankings each week (and Matt Beer's for Assen) - so he, Matt and Simon Patterson can discuss it on the latest episode of The Race MotoGP Podcast.

Make sure you're signed up to The Race Members' Club to get exclusive MotoGP bonus content, ask questions for the podcast and ask about Val's rider rankings in the second half of 2026.

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Aprilia was everyone's pick to prevail in MotoGP's British Grand Prix, and did so in style - locking out the podium in both races, as Jorge Martin reinforced his championship lead.

But is Martin the new title favourite? And was Marc Marquez, who still sounds quite gloomy about his physical condition, further adrift than expected?

Megan White and Simon Patterson report from Silverstone, while also touching on Pecco Bagnaia's dreadful weekend, another Joan Mir crash and more.

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MotoGP has a proud history in the UK, but the British Grand Prix has struggled to attract the requisite crowds as of late - despite Silverstone's knack for producing great racing and the roaring success of its F1 events.

So what's going on? Host Matt Beer is joined by Simon Patterson, Megan White and Oliver Card to discuss what Silverstone and MotoGP need to do to recharge the British GP experience - and whether there's a risk of this coming with a feared 'F1-ification' of MotoGP.

But before all that, a check-in on Maverick Vinales, who has denied a report that KTM is looking to suspend his MotoGP season - which would likely end his MotoGP career even earlier than expected.

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A lot has changed at Honda since the departure of Marc Marquez at the end of the 2023 season. MotoGP’s most successful brand has went through a turbulent period since then, things have improved but maybe not at the rate they'd have hoped for - as this era of MotoGP comes to an end.

For 2027, they’ve got the big name signing of Fabio Quartararo from Yamaha, but will the expectation from the Frenchmen match the ambition of Honda as the 850cc era in MotoGP begins.

Also, who will be his teammate next season? Will it be current MotoGP rookie Diogo Moreira or Moto2 star David Alonso?

Jordan Moreland, Valentin Khorounzhiy and Simon Patterson discuss it all in the latest episode of The Race MotoGP podcast.

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A fresh injury to former points leader Marco Bezzecchi coupled with a perfect weekend from Sachsenring master Marc Marquez means the MotoGP title picture has now flipped completely from a few months back.

Is Marquez's eighth crown now inevitable? Which rider in the Aprilia camp stands the best chance at challenging him from here on? And why has the Aprilia factory team collapsed so dramatically - while satellite team Trackhouse is achieving its best-ever results?

All this, plus an extensive conversation about Maverick Vinales's likely MotoGP exit and legacy in the championship, in the German Grand Prix episode, featuring Val Khorounzhiy and Simon Patterson on site at the Sachsenring.

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How many riders are actually in MotoGP title contention and who’s now the favourite?

Have the factory Aprilia riders let Marc Marquez get too close? Is Ai Ogura now a realistic contender? Don’t forget Fabio Di Giannantonio is top Ducati and a very close third in the points!

Simon Patterson, Val Khorounzhiy, Eden Hannigan and Matt Beer assess the championship chances of the current top eight in the very close standings, using some very dubious maths and varying degrees of preparatory homework.

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Ai Ogura’s been on the cusp of a MotoGP win for months now, and he achieved it in style at Assen - putting himself into genuine championship contention in the process. That was in large part because the works Aprilia racers failed to capitalise on the RS-GP’s dominant pace in the Netherlands.

Simon Patterson joins Matt Beer on The Race MotoGP Podcast to discuss why Trackhouse overshadowed the factory bikes, the latest disaster for Marco Bezzecchi and a muted round for Marc Marquez. Plus the bizarre violence of the Assen crashes and a very, very strange weekend for the KTMs.

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Marc Marquez’s (sooner-than-expected) return to MotoGP’s title fight was confirmed with his second successive victory at the Czech Grand Prix and anotherwild weekend for Aprilia’s title chasers. From Brno, Valentin Khorounzhiy and Simon Patterson unpack a weekend filled with drama on and off the track.

They explain what’s let Marquez back into the title fight, Ai Ogura’s best weekend yet, Jorge Martin’s lack of pace, and discuss Marco Bezzecchi’s race ban for striking a marshal.

As always, they take plenty of questions from The Race Members’ Club throughout, including whether Bezzecchi’s punishment was harsh enough.

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Raul Fernandez is in his best ever MotoGP form - yet seems pretty sceptical about whether he’ll keep his Trackhouse Aprilia seat for 2027.

KTM might be heading for a complete fresh of its whole four-rider line-up, and while two of them have 2027 destinations set, are the other two set to fall off the grid? And is there any hope for the three race-winning riders who just don’t seem to have any seat options for 2027?

Val Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer dig into all the moving pieces in The Race MotoGP Podcast.

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Jordan Moreland, Megan White and Simon Patterson recap the 2026 Isle of Man TT races, which saw bad weather impact race week, but two riders take all the spoils in the racing that did happen.

Michael Dunlop added three more wins to his ever growing tally at the TT, which now stands at 36, while Dean Harrison won both big bike races - including the Senior TT, which was red-flagged after just one lap due to an incident.

We speak with Harrison about his 2026 TT and also discuss the amazing tribute lap for Joey Dunlop that was ridden by his nephew Michael.

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The Balaton MotoGP weekend could barely have gone worse for Aprilia: its title challenging factory pair wiped out by another Jorge Martin first-corner blunder, while Marc Marquez took a perfect score including his first grand prix win since 2025.

How did Aprilia react to the disaster, and was it as straightforward a Martin error as it seemed in the moment? And is a Marquez title bid now fully on?

Val Khorounzhiy, Simon Patterson and Matt Beer debate all that in The Race MotoGP Podcast, plus Iker Lecuona’s stand-in heroics and the surprisingly divisive topic of whether Jack Miller had a good race or not.

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An Italian rider wins MotoGP’s Italian Grand Prix for an Italian team - that used to be Ducati’s story, but this time it was Aprilia and Marco Bezzecchi who ruled Mugello.

It wasn’t a flawless weekend for Bezzecchi though, and there were complications elsewhere at Aprilia - for instance Raul Fernandez’s dark mood after his sprint win.

Val Khorounzhiy joins Matt Beer on The Race MotoGP Podcast to report from the Mugello paddock, as they also tackle Marc Marquez’s return to action and the latest hint of some form of Pecco Bagnaia resurgence.

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Marc Marquez is back in the MotoGP field for the Italian Grand Prix after his latest surgery, and in his absence his championship situation hasn't actually got that much worse.

In a special edition of The Race MotoGP Podcast, Val joins Matt from the Mugello paddock to assess Marquez's mood and title chances as he returns. And they assess what might result from another MotoGP comeback from someone much more unexpected, who's been away much longer: Cal Crutchlow.

This episode also contains the latest of our behind the scenes at Ducati segments in partnership with Lenovo, in which Simon joins Davide Tardozzi and David Attisano in the Ducati museum, surrounded by 40 years' worth of World Superbike and grand prix machinery to talk through how data tech has evolved over the decades.

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The outcomes of MotoGP’s twice red-flagged 2026 Catalan Grand Prix could have been so much worse, with Alex Marquez and Johann Zarco beginning their recoveries from the injuries they sustained in their terrifying pair of crashes.

Simon Patterson, Val Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer try to make some sense of it all in The Race MotoGP Podcast at the end of a weekend that felt on the edge right from practice.

A weekend of strange pace, crashes, shoving and penalties at championship leader Aprilia is also analysed.

Plus why Joan Mir really didn’t care about losing his podium to a tyre pressure penalty and a little bit of optimism about how good the racing actually is right now when things run smoothly.

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An Aprilia riders' title looks almost inevitable after a French Grand Prix weekend in which it locked out the podium - and Marc Marquez went out injured.

Valentin Khorounzhiy is joined by Simon Patterson and Jordan Moreland to discuss Marquez's latest, likely-insurmountable 2026 title setback, and the crucial information he himself had received about his shoulder injury.

Plus, who is in better shape in this new-look title fight - Marco Bezzecchi or Jorge Martin? And how will Aprilia handle the new reality of the championship.

We also give props to Ai Ogura and Fabio Quartararo, and discuss Pecco Bagnaia's latest DNF and Fabio Di Giannantonio's reported move to KTM.

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MotoGP is banning wildcards for the advent of its new rules in 2027 - but why, and how much will they be missed?

Val Khorounzhiy is joined by Simon Patterson and 'wildcard' Jordan Moreland on this latest edition of The Race MotoGP Podcast, as the crew delve into the modern realities of the MotoGP wildcard and debate your takes (and your picks for the most memorable wildcards in MotoGP).

They also touch on another injury setback for Maverick Vinales (replaced by Jonas Folger at Le Mans) and what it means for his 2027 outlook, and preview a likely weather-affected French Grand Prix weekend. Quelle surprise!

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Marc Marquez claimed one of his unlikeliest wins ever during the Spanish Grand Prix weekend - yet his title hopes look more troubled than ever four rounds into the season.

Matt Beer, Simon Patterson and Val Khorounzhiy discuss Marquez's situation, how much longer he'll be racing for and whether Jerez showed the Ducati is actually a match for the Aprilia.

They also talk through Marquez's sprint-winning move, the value of flag-to-flag races, Fabio Di Giannantonio's superb form and rising market value and Fabio Quartararo's increasing exasperation at Yamaha among other topics.

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MotoGP 2026 resumes at Jerez this weekend but it’s doing so without Maverick Vinales due to his latest fitness blow - and, as Simon, Val and Matt explain on The Race MotoGP Podcast, that’s particularly terrible timing for his career.

They also debate whether riders have too much power over their own fitness decisions, and whether MotoGP needs a totally different approach to stand-in rider provision.

Plus with Val fresh from a weekend at the World Superbike Championship, they discuss why its crushingly dominant points leader Nicolo Bulega’s MotoGP chances are looking more complicated but also why WSBK isn’t exactly crying out for MotoGP rejects either.

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Much of the MotoGP grid for 2027 and beyond appears to have been sorted behind the scenes, with more of the dominos falling into play as the 'restart' of the season approaches.

But while factories and riders maneouvre in secret, who are truly the most valuable MotoGP riders in the short- and medium-term - and who would get the first phone calls if the entire grid was reset?

The Race MotoGP Podcast's crew seeks to paint a picture by borriwing a 'draft' format from other sports, with Val Khorounzhiy, Simon Patterson, editor Jordan Moreland and special guest Eden Hannigan choosing their optimal MotoGP line-ups.

Would Marc Marquez, Fabio Quartararo or Pedro Acosta be the first choice in a true free-for-all? Does a bike manufacturer with a proven track record have more pull than a 'star' rider? And which riders look surplus to requirements for the next generation of MotoGP rules?

This and more as we put together our mock 2027-2028 MotoGP grid.

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With MotoGP on an unscheduled spring break, we figured it was time to revisit the modern-era history of blockbuster rider moves - particularly those that dramatically changed careers, for better or worse.

Can anything top Valentino Rossi's Yamaha pivot? And did he stay a Yamaha rider too long? And how should history really judge Ducati's big-money move for Jorge Lorenzo?

This and more - much more - in our latest episode of The Race MotoGP Podcast.

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The Circuit of the Americas was supposed to properly kickstart Marc Marquez's MotoGP 2026 title bid - but instead Aprilia only pulled further clear.

Matt Beer, Simon Patterson and Val Khorounzhiy dissect a weekend in which usual COTA dominator Marquez never really looked like beating the Aprilias, even without a major error on Saturday.

They discuss Marquez's issues with the bike and with his physical fitness, and Jorge Martin's emergence as a genuine title threat within an Aprilia structure that should in theory be rallied around five-in-a-row winner Marco Bezzecchi.

Plus, a look at Joan Mir's double DNF, Pecco Bagnaia's latest rollercoaster weekend and Toprak Razgatlioglu's inspired start to life in MotoGP being concealed by Yamaha struggles.

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After a wild pre-season flurry of news about riders agreeing 2027 MotoGP deals and big moves, we’ve had barely any actual announcements of those deals being official.

So what’s going on? Why the stalling, and does it mean any of the deals are in jeopardy (one in particular is raising a lot of fans’ eyebrows right now)?

Simon, Val and Matt explore the latest news and rumours from the paddock about the 2027 line-ups in a bonus episode of The Race MotoGP Podcast recorded on the eve of the Grand Prix of the Americas at Austin.

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MotoGP's first Brazilian Grand Prix in 22 years was an absolute wild weekend - with a litany of dramas ranging from floods to a sinkhole on the main straight to an abrupt shortening of the race, plus riders picking lumps of churned-up asphalt out of their boots.

Simon Patterson recounts all the twists of his week at Goiania to Val Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer on The Race MotoGP Podcast, and they discuss where blame should be put and what needs to be done to put things right for 2027.

And they also debate the implications of the commanding Aprilia 1-2 on track for the title fight.

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MotoGP’s 2027 rider market moved VERY early… and then the season-opener might’ve come as a shock to some teams banking on their new signings having put old problems behind them.

Messy at best, abject at worst starts to 2026 for Pecco Bagnaia, Alex Marquez and Maverick Vinales in particular left many in The Race Members’ Club asking whether teams had jumped too soon to nail down next year’s line-ups.

Val Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer give their take on The Race MotoGP Podcast - both on the riders with probably-secure 2027 futures who’ve started 2026 badly, and the riders with uncertain futures who’ve begun this year very well.

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Aprilia beat the brakes off MotoGP's usual dominant force Ducati in a fascinating 2026 season opener - so how worried should Ducati and star rider Marc Marquez be after a dispiriting Thai Grand Prix?

Simon Patterson and Val Khorounzhiy discuss the chief storylines from Buriram, including the last-second deflation of a weekend Marquez looked to have salvaged, the source of Aprilia's dominance and a potential career-best weekend from new championship leader Pedro Acosta.

Plus, why did Yamaha keep its riders from the media on Sunday - and how bad was its 2026 bike's competitive debut? And what of rookies Diogo Moreira and Toprak Razgatlioglu?

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This might not be the most unpredictable season MotoGP has ever gone into, but there is very good reason to expect a much more open and intriguing 2026 campaign compared to 2025 - as Simon Patterson, Val Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer explain on The Race MotoGP Podcast.

Why some form of title fight is potentially on and who’ll be giving Marc Marquez the most headaches is our main topic, and we also make our predictions for who’ll make the biggest improvement over 2025 and who’ll go in the other direction.

Plus Matt has a few ‘one-line-only answers’ curveball prediction questions for Simon and Val too.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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?

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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A week after Marc Marquez clinched the title and Pecco Bagnaia emphatically returned to form, everything went horribly wrong for the works Ducati MotoGP team at the Indonesian Grand Prix with Marquez suffering a new injury when taken out by Marco Bezzecchi and Bagnaia tumbling right to the back again.

Val Khorounzhiy, Simon Patterson and Matt Beer discuss what happened to Marquez and how quickly (or not) he might be back. But the big debate is over both the state of Bagnaia’s weekend and the controversy and mystery around what’s going on with his bike and his mentality, and the gap between VR46 and Ducati’s accounts of what Bagnaia tested last month at Misano.

All of that slightly overshadows a breakthrough first win for rookie Fermin Aldeguer, in front of fellow rising star Pedro Acosta - will their battle define the years ahead?

We also delve into why the weekend was so weird form-wise overall, including surges to the front by recent strugglers Alex Rins and Raul Fernandez.

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While Marc Marquez clinched a very early and emotional 2025 MotoGP title at Motegi, it was his Ducati team-mate Pecco Bagnaia who actually dominated the weekend - a far cry from his terrible form in recent weeks.

Simon Patterson, Val Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer attempt to unravel the Bagnaia form mystery on The Race MotoGP Podcast, but only after paying due respect to Marquez’s first championship win in six years - and arguing over how it was celebrated.

Jorge Martin’s latest injury (and the massive error that caused it) and the return of Joan Mir and the works Honda team to the MotoGP podium also feature strongly.

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As Alex Marquez gets upgraded to the same Ducati spec as brother Marc for the 2026 MotoGP season, The Race MotoGP Podcast delves into Ducati’s hierarchy, pecking order and bike specification puzzle with Simon Patterson, Megan White and Matt Beer.

Might all six Ducati riders actually get the same bike for 2026? And will it be one that Pecco Bagnaia copes better with or is that now more about him than his equipment? And will getting equal machinery actually be a good or bad thing for Alex Marquez?

Plus Megan reports back from her weekend embedded with Ducati and Lenovo, and we debate whether the big 2027 rule change is really a chance for rivals to dethrone Ducati plus the future shape of Ducati’s rider line-up and whether it’s betting too much on Fermin Aldeguer.

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Marco Bezzecchi didn’t quite win the San Marino Grand Prix, but across the Misano weekend he made life much harder for Marc Marquez than the runaway championship leader has been used to in 2025 - and it showed when Marquez crashed from the sprint lead.

Does Bezzecchi and Aprilia’s recent progress together signal a 2026 title challenge? Val Khorounzhiy, Simon Patterson and Matt Beer debate that on The Race MotoGP Podcast.

Plus KTM’s bizarrely shambolic weekend of technical failures, the Yamaha V4’s debut and a long wait for the thoughts of Pecco Bagnaia.

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Marc Marquez finally lost a MotoGP race for the first time in three months at Barcelona, but it was his brother Alex who beat him rather than his double champion factory Ducati team-mate Pecco Bagnaia.

Bagnaia wasn’t even close to the podium in Spain, let alone victory, as his troubled season reached a woeful new low with a weekend spent mostly among the backmarkers.

Simon Patterson, Val Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer try their best to explain what’s going on with Bagnaia, what could be done about it and what it says about him on The Race MotoGP Podcast.

Plus the KTM (and in particular Enea Bastianini) resurgence, more penalty/racing standards angst and possibly Val’s most bemused response ever to a Simon declaration.

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The final pieces of MotoGP’s 2026 rider line-up have fallen into place, even if those last deals haven’t yet been announced.

Is Miguel Oliveira’s likely exit from the grid fair? What should we expect from fought-over rookie Diogo Moreira?

Simon Patterson, Val Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer debate that on The Race MotoGP Podcast - and Matt also challenges the panel to cast an eye forward to 2027 in the process and take a punt on how many riders will stay be in the same place another year on (and we don’t think it will be many).

We also discuss why the World Superbike Championship isn’t picking up MotoGP riders - yet - despite all the factory deals up for grabs there, and assess MotoGP’s next rising star David Alonso’s long-term prospects after his spectacular first Moto2 win.

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A (contentious) new venue for MotoGP but exactly the same result, as Marc Marquez continued his dominant streak at Balaton Park.

But with team-mate Pecco Bagnaia and erstwhile title rival Alex Marquez floundering, is Ducati getting a bit too reliant on Marc in the same way that proved Honda’s undoing?

Simon Patterson, Val Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer debate that in the context of recent gains from Aprilia (with Jorge Martin on the pace now too), KTM and even Honda.

Plus our takes on Bagnaia’s odd declaration of a game-changing breakthrough during an awful weekend, Alex Marquez getting back to bad old habits and whether MotoGP should be racing at Balaton at all.

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Is Pecco Bagnaia's latest MotoGP 2025 collapse - along with his post-race suggestion he is "running out of patience" - a sign his position in the factory Ducati team has been fundamentally damaged?

The Race MotoGP Podcast panel - namely Val Khorounzhiy and Simon Patterson - discuss this and more live from the Red Bull Ring, a track Marc Marquez has now emphatically ticked off from his MotoGP 'yet to win' list.

The title race is over - but how's the racing? And what on Earth was going on with Yamaha this weekend?

Plus, Fermin Aldeguer's star-making performance, two riders' continued resurgence and where Jorge Martin's recovery is at.

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As MotoGP 2025 prepares to resume from its summer break, the paddock looks poised to be joined by Formula 1 cult hero Guenther Steiner as his long-mooted deal to take over the Tech3 team moves closer to fruition.

Val Khorounzhiy, Simon Patterson and Matt Beer go behind the Netflix Steiner stereotype to explain what he’ll actually bring to KTM’s second team and ponder Tech3’s wider future shape.

And ahead of the second half of a season that we’ve often wished would be a bit more entertaining, we share our specific wishes for the remaining races - from riders we really want to see show their true selves to how we want the Marquez brothers to handle their habitual 1-2s from here.

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When we asked for your questions about Marc Marquez in a competition to win a signed Insta360 Ace Pro 2 MM93 Edition camera, many of our absolute favourites were the big hypotheticals - what if Marquez had signed for this team at that time, or a particular injury had never happened, or even what if 2010/20s MotoGP had happened without him.

The Race MotoGP Podcast delves into five of these massive ‘whats ifs’ this week, as Simon Patterson, Val Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer rewrite Marquez-related MotoGP history.

Do any of our alternate realities end up with Dani Pedrosa winning a championship? Or does Val declare that Maverick Vinales would’ve dominated the era? Listen to find out…

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There’s huge excitement over what World Superbike king Toprak Razgatlioglu will bring to MotoGP when he finally makes the move across in 2026 after so many near-deals.

But is there enough appreciation for the world Razgatlioglu is leaving? His MotoGP move - and the chance of main rival Nicolo Bulega soon following him - has put a new spotlight on World Superbikes, as has the question of what new Dorna owner Liberty Media plans to do with it.

The Race MotoGP Podcast’s roving reporter Oliver Card was given special access to the World Superbike Championship’s recent Donington Park round to learn more about the series’ appeal and standing, armed with questions from The Race Members’ Club.

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Marc Marquez's fifth consecutive MotoGP weekend double has put him 120 points clear at the top of the standings - so how soon can he wrap up the title?

Valentin Khorounzhiy and Simon Patterson discuss Marquez's latest triumph in The Race MotoGP Podcast's Czech Grand Prix episode, recorded on location at Brno.

They delve into Ducati's unusually vulnerable weekend aside from Marquez's double - and into Alex Marquez's mistake that removed himself and the luckless Joan Mir from Sunday's race, the last before the series' summer break.

They also discuss Jorge Martin's remarkably happy, best-case scenario return to MotoGP action with Aprilia - and a career-best premier-class weekend for Raul Fernandez.

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Marc Marquez recorded a fourth consecutive sprint-grand prix double in MotoGP 2025 at the Sachsenring, to virtually nobody's surprise - but did he take too much risk given the championship picture to ensure he went unbeaten?

And why did Sunday's race come so close to having single-digit finishers, with Turn 1 proving shockingly troublesome in a span of just a couple of laps?

Valentin Khorounzhiy and Simon Patterson discuss this and more in a post-race podcast recorded on location in Chemnitz, while also talking about Jorge Martin's reported decision to stay with Aprilia.

Plus, are Pedro Acosta's errors alarming amid the backdrop of his dissatisfaction with KTM? Should Yamaha look for a way out of the Alex Rins deal before the end of 2026? And how badly has Diogo Moreira hurt his MotoGP '26 chances with the crash he'd caused in Moto2?

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Off-track, Honda and Yamaha are the key protagonists in the 2026 MotoGP rider market. On-track, they’ve both gone backwards again after their breakthrough results in May.

Why has that happened, and is a champion rider like Jorge Martin right to put his faith in investment and long-term hope over current performance and the evidence of recent years? Simon Patterson and Val Khorounzhiy make the case for Honda and Yamaha’s prospects to a sceptical Matt Beer in The Race MotoGP Podcast.

Honda’s likely 2026 line-up - and a surprise twist in it - is discussed too, as is the possibility of a total rider clearout at Yamaha’s second team, even though the Pramac duo Miguel Oliveira and Jack Miller are matching or outperforming struggling factory rider Alex Rins.

Want to win a Marc Marquez special edition 8K AI-powered camera, signed by Marquez himself?

We’ve teamed up with Insta360 to give away an autographed Insta360 Ace Pro 2 MM93 Edition - a special customised version of the camera with Marquez’s logo and iconic #93 on its body, plus other unique Marquez customisation touches.

For a chance to win the signed Marquez edition Insta360 camera, all you have to do is send us ONE question about Marquez that you’d love The Race MotoGP Podcast team to answer. Submit your questionHERE

And whoever sends the best question as chosen by The Race MotoGP Podcast panel receives the signed Insta360 Ace Pro 2 MM93 Edition.

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The Jorge Martin/Aprilia contract row erupted again during MotoGP’s Dutch Grand Prix weekend as first comments from Martin’s management and series promoter Carmelo Ezpeleta drove Aprilia to make clear it was ready to take Martin to court, then Aprilia gave more reason to question Martin’s logic by nearly winning the race with Marco Bezzecchi.

The Race Members’ Club’s rants suggested plenty of sympathy for Aprilia’s side, and Simon Patterson is firmly in that corner too on The Race MotoGP Podcast - but Val Khorounzhiy has a very different view.

After plenty of debate about Martin and Aprilia, Simon, Val and Matt Beer eventually manage to talk about some riders who actually participated in the Dutch GP too.

Marc and Alex Marquez’s latest (tentative?) battle, Alex’s injury and how it happened, Fabio Quartararo’s nosedive from pole to two terrible races and Brad Binder’s plight are among the other topics covered.

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After the big hints of a breakthrough at Aragon, Pecco Bagnaia came to his home MotoGP track Mugello - where he traditionally excels and far from a Marc Marquez stronghold - and… didn’t even finish on the grand prix podium as Marquez took another maximum score.

How bad was that for Bagnaia’s season, and why did it happen? Simon Patterson, Val Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer debate what might be Bagnaia’s most painful 2025 low so far on The Race MotoGP Podcast.

As Bagnaia fell back, at least Alex Marquez was there to take the fight to Marc - but how hard was he really fighting? The siblings’ (conspicuously gentle?) approach to racing each other is another hot topic after the Italian Grand Prix, as is stewarding after yet another Franco Morbidelli incident.

We also tackle plenty of questions from The Race Members’ Club on topics including Yamaha and Honda’s awful weekends, the power balance between Maverick Vinales and Pedro Acosta at KTM, and where Fabio Di Giannantonio’s sudden performance came from.

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Here’s an extended preview of a bonus episode available in The Race Members’ Club on Patreon ahead of Mugello - an exclusive one-on-one with MotoGP podium finisher turned World Superbike star Scott Redding on his fascinating career.

From coming agonisingly (literally) close to winning a Moto2 title to Honda, Pramac and Aprilia stints in MotoGP before rebuilding his career with an epic British Superbike season and then his current life of highs and lows in World Superbikes, Redding’s story is an incredible one with rather a lot of ‘right place, wrong time’ in it.

And he’s superbly honest and eloquent about every bit of it in this interview with Val.

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With another running of the Isle of Man TT complete, Megan White and Simon Patterson look back on all the action for a special edition of The Race’s MotoGP Podcast.

Three riders took all the spoils in the solo classes, with one win for Davey Todd and two apiece for Michael Dunlop and Dean Harrison, while the Crowe brothers dominated in Sidecars.

Despite the Senior TT being cancelled due to adverse weather conditions, it was still a brilliant week of racing on the island, with 10 thrilling races.

Megan and Simon looked back over the high points to see who the big winners of this year’s Isle of Man TT were, plus The Race's founder Andrew van de Burgt joins to share his experiences of attending the TT for the first time (Spoiler: He liked it a lot).

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It’s finally happening: after so many years of rumour and flirtation, the World Superbike Championship’s breakout superstar Toprak Razgatlioglu is coming to MotoGP in 2026.

And the man who once only wanted to go to MotoGP on a factory bike, and whose Yamaha MotoGP bridge looked burned by two bad tests and a fractious aftermath, is joining the MotoGP grid… with Yamaha’s satellite team Pramac.

Matt Beer wakes Simon Patterson from his well-deserved post Silverstone-TT-Aragon nap to discuss why Razgatlioglu is finally making the leap and assess how he might fare and how his first season should be judged.

We also explain for anyone who hasn’t followed World Superbikes why Razgatlioglu is such a coup for MotoGP, and consider the impact of his exit on WSBK - especially with his 2025 title rival Nicolo Bulega also now being lined up for a MotoGP future too.

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While Marc Marquez effortlessly dominated the Aragon Grand Prix ahead of brother Alex, his Ducati team-mate Pecco Bagnaia went from a dismally off the pace sprint to a genuinely encouraging Sunday race.

Did 1.5cm of brake disc really have a transformative effect that will change Bagnaia’s 2025 season? Simon Patterson, Val Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer ponder the key to Bagnaia’s turnaround and how significant it might actually be.

Yamaha’s tumble backwards, KTM’s surge forwards and Aprilia’s latest rider intrigue also feature, there’s a mild argument between the Joan Mir Fan Club and Johann Zarco Fan Club arms of the podcast panel and Simon has a downbeat rant that comes from a place of genuine love for MotoGP.

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The MotoGP rider market was supposed to be pretty settled heading to 2026, but it’s actually gone crazy - and not just because of Jorge Martin’s antics.

Val Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer - with interjections from Simon Patterson in the Isle of Man TT paddock - give their takes on all the potential moves and which riders and teams actually need a break from each other and a fresh start regardless of what the contracts actually say.

Plus the latest Toprak Razgatlioglu/MotoGP link and the lessons from things Davide Brivio’s done in the past.

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Jorge Martin has officially communicated to the world that he expects to be a free agent at the end of the 2025 MotoGP season thanks to a clause in his two-year deal with Aprilia.

Though he has not officially committed to riding for someone else - and Aprilia, which had just won at Silverstone, has not corroborated his status for 2026 - it marks a massive moment for both rider and team, with Honda looming in the background as an interested party.

Val Khorounzhiy is joined by an Isle of Man TT-based Simon Patterson to go through Martin's statement and discuss where the parties go from here.

They also offer injury updates on Ai Ogura and Luca Marini, the latter hurt considerably in a Suzuka 8 Hours testing crash - in what is a crucial contract year for the Italian.

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A mad British Grand Prix Sunday broke Yamaha's heart and uplifted Aprilia - but why did Ducati allow either to fight for the win in the first place?

Simon Patterson and Megan White discuss this in the latest The Race MotoGP Podcast after a weekend at the track, with Simon having dug up details on how the 2025-spec Ducati differs from last year's version after all.

They also get into the question of how far along Yamaha is really, and whether Honda might actually be in equally good or better shape. And there's a discussion of what this sudden win does for Aprilia amid its ongoing Jorge Martin 'situation'.

Finally, with poor attendance numbers this weekend, they discuss what Silverstone could be doing differently as the British home of MotoGP.

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With excitement building ahead of this year’s Isle of Man TT, The Race’s Simon Patterson spoke to some of the event’s biggest names about their preparation, the biggest challenges and more. He headed down to the North West 200, the Northern Irish road race which serves as a de facto warm-up to the TT, to chat with TT legend John McGuinness and team-mates Davey Todd and Peter Hickman.

McGuinness, who is third on the all-time wins list, opened up on what keeps him motivated after 30 years competing, while Todd and Hickman revealed more about their new joint venture 8Ten Racing.Here’s a taste of what to expect from The Race Members’ Club coverage of this year’s TT.

Get 75% off your first month when you join The Race Members' Clubon Patreon today- we even have an Riders-only tier! Head topatreon.com/therace

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Most people predicted that Marc Marquez’s arrival in the factory Ducati MotoGP team was going to be bad news for Pecco Bagnaia, but thisbad?

Ducati’s lead title hope for the last four seasons (and twice world champion for it) hasn’t beaten his new team-mate in a straight fight at all yet or even looked like doing so.

Val Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer put Bagnaia’s disappointing 2025 form centre stage in the latest episode of The Race MotoGP Podcast.

Is Bagnaia tinkering with the ‘GP25-ish’ too much searching for something that will prove impossible to find and does he just need to get on with riding it?

Does Bagnaia now have to start thinking about a move away from Ducati?

And is Fermin Aldeguer already poised to take his place? We let long-time Aldeguer advocate Val go suitably nuts about the Gresini rookie’s rise as he starts to prove Ducati right for committing to him so early.

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MotoGP’s French Grand Prix at Le Mans was a completely crazy race - but then even crazier news emerged the morning after.

Here’s a special double episode of The Race MotoGP Podcast starting with Simon Patterson and Val Khorounzhiy on the bombshell news that Jorge Martin is seemingly looking for a way out of Aprilia having barely even raced for it.

How that’s even possible, where he would go and what Aprilia would do are all debated in an emergency mini-episode recorded as Simon was about to get on a plane out of France.

And then we’re onto the episode we actually planned to bring you - as Johann Zarco’s outstanding victory in MotoGP’s bizarre 2025 French Grand Prix gave Simon, Val and Matt Beer a LOT to debate.

Has MotoGP underestimated a rider who just left Marc Marquez standing in wet conditions? Why did so many other riders who had the chance to match Zarco’s strategy choose not to?

Did the new rules prompted by Marquez’s dash off the Austin grid work on their first appearance and was this actually a great race (Matt thinks so and Val sort of agrees) or a rubbish and processional non-spectacle? (Simon thinks so).

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Enjoy a free preview of the first episode of our mini series on the Isle of Man TT, available exclusively to members on Patreon.

With a month to go until practice week gets underway, Megan White and Simon Patterson spoke to Paul Phillips, Head of Motorsport for the TT.

He revealed some of the exciting new features fans can expect for this year, delved into the changing talent path of road racing, and revealed some crucial work the TT is doing around safety.

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Is Fabio Quartararo the first truly elite MotoGP rider to be trapped in the series' midfield for as long as he has been?

Host Valentin Khorounzhiy discusses this with Simon Patterson on the latest edition of The Race MotoGP Podcast, ahead of Quartararo's home race at Le Mans that comes on the heels of a best-in-years weekend at Jerez.

The show also delves into Quartararo's decision to stay put at Yamaha for 2025, the chances of him doing so again in 2027 - and the question of whether his lack of championship opportunities as he enters his theoretical prime as a rider is weighing on him.

Finally, Val and Simon talk about the rest of Yamaha's line-up, discussing whether Jack Miller should count on a 2026 extension, whether Alex Rins's disappointing-so-far Yamaha tenure is likely to improve and whether it would make sense for Yamaha to try to bring in Toprak Razgatlioglu.

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Ducati’s 100% win rate in the 2025 MotoGP world championship masks the fact it’s not actually ever managed to race its full 2025 bike spec, its superstar new signing has crashed in confusing circumstances in two of the last three grands prix and its double champion is a tentative and puzzled shadow of his best form right now because he’s not ever quite sure what to expect from his bike’s handling.

So what’s Ducati been working on to solve Marc Marquez and Pecco Bagnaia’s problems? A hungry and tired Simon Patterson in a very dark Spanish hotel room joins Matt Beer on The Race MotoGP Podcast to discuss everything that happened in Monday’s test and what it means for the rest of the season.

As well as Ducati’s issues and Marquez and Bagnaia’s contrasting handling of them, we also get into potentially significant development steps for Yamaha and Honda, and the realisation that Aprilia might have bigger problems than Jorge Martin’s long-term absence.

We also debate the big question of the Jerez race weekend: what’s going on at KTM that’s resulted in Maverick Vinales suddenly becoming its standout rider and Pedro Acosta suddenly looking overhyped?

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Marc Marquez has won three of the 2025 MotoGP season’s grands prix so far but crashed out of the other two - and that means he’s once again lost the championship lead after the Spanish Grand Prix.

Simon Patterson and Matt Beer convene for a quick mini-episode of The Race MotoGP Podcast to try to figure out what’s going on with Marc’s errors, how Fabio Quartararo and Yamaha came so close to winning a race and what Alex Marquez finally getting that elusive grand prix victory (and retaking the points lead) means for the season.

And The Race Members’ Club had plenty of opinions on all three topics for us to factor in too.

We’ll be back for a full podcast after Monday’s post-race test at Jerez to go deeper into the weekend’s many storylines.

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Ahead of the European leg of the 2025 MotoGP season kicking off at Jerez, what is the biggest question facing every manufacturer?

Megan White and Valentin Khorounzhiy try to answer that question for each of Aprilia, Honda, Yamaha, KTM and Ducati.

What does Aprilia do now that Jorge Martin - on whom there is another injury update - is facing a further spell on the sidelines? How should Honda play the expiring contracts of Johann Zarco and Luca Marini?

How good does the Yamaha V4 engine - now being extensively track-tested - need to be before it is brought to races? And what can KTM learn from Maverick Vinales' formbook-breaking Qatar GP run?

Finally, what approach should Ducati take to its longer-term rider roster?

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There's no MotoGP race this weekend, so as a bonus we thought we'd share Val's Qatar GP rider rankings Q&A, which is usually members-only content.

Regular listeners will know that Val's rider rankings are posted to The Race website after each race. We then invite The Race Members' Club to send in follow-up questions, which Val then answers in an exclusive video posted to Patreon.

For example, in this one he muses on where Fabio di Giannantonio and Alex Marquez would have placed had they not crashed into other riders.

If you enjoy this episode and would like to get every subsequent one, plus ad-free episodes and our exclusive MotoGP Revisited series on the 2015 season, why not join The Race Members' Club today?

And don't worry if you're only interested in MotoGP and none of The Race's four-wheeled coverage - we have a riders-only tier!

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A frenzied Qatar Grand Prix weekend is discussed on the latest edition of The Race MotoGP Podcast, with Maverick Vinales stealing the spotlight away from the Marc Marquez-Alex Marquez-Pecco Bagnaia title fight.

Simon Patterson and Valentin Khorounzhiy discuss the Vinales performance - and the fact it has been effectively stricken from the record books by a tyre pressure penalty.

But why was Vinales so quick, how encouraged should KTM be and what does the weekend say about Pedro Acosta?

In terms of the title fight, should Bagnaia be worried about another heavy defeat versus Marquez - or can he simply view it as a consequence of his qualifying error?

There's also a discussion of Jorge Martin's latest bad injury and of the collision between Alex Marquez and Fabio Di Giannantonio that left the former apologetic and the latter deeply incensed.

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World Superbike Championship superstar Toprak Razgatlioglu is being linked to MotoGP yet again - but this time with a twist.

Simon Patterson, Val Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer gather on The Race MotoGP Podcast to assess whether the mooted plan for Razgatlioglu to be part of Honda’s factory 2027 MotoGP line-up is realistic and how he might fare.

With Jorge Martin expected to finally start his double-injury-delayed title defence at this weekend’s Qatar Grand Prix, we discuss what to expect from him and what an earth is going on at Aprilia in his absence.

And there’s a little teaser of our Patreon exclusive Jack Miller Q&A - when the Pramac Yamaha star very much enjoyed answering The Race Members’ Club’s questions about his life, career and Cal Crutchlow.

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Marc Marquez’s 2025 MotoGP winning streak ended with a crash from the lead at Austin, but that wasn’t actually the most attention-grabbing part of his weekend.

His audacious premeditated gamble that he could get the start aborted so he could switch to the right tyres for the drying conditions without getting a penalty paid off, but raised big questions over the robustness and interpretation of the rules around such situation.

Simon Patterson, Val Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer explain what happened and why it was so contentious, as well as delving into Marc’s subsequent crash and how much he should be castigated for it.

Plus our takes on Pecco Bagnaia’s sudden title bid revival, Alex Marquez’s appearance as world championship leader, Joan Mir and Pedro Acosta’s shunts, and a reminder of just how good Jack Miller can be.

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Two rounds into the 2025 MotoGP season and it’s a great year to be a Marquez. Almost everyone else has work to do.

But who’s in most trouble?

That’s the question Matt Beer posed to Simon Patterson and Val Khorounzhiy in the latest episode of The Race MotoGP Podcast. They didn’t disagree too much in their answers as they highlighted two manufacturers and one rider in particular who are disappointing, but Matt felt they were missing someone…

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Marc Marquez declared his brother Alex to be his main 2025 MotoGP title rival after their battle for victory in the Argentine Grand Prix.

Was he getting carried away with sibling affection or is Alex really capable of denying his big brother a first championship in six years?

Simon Patterson, Val Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer debate that in the Termas de Rio Hondo episode of The Race MotoGP Podcast.

Even if Alex’s title challenge can’t be sustained, right now he’s in a better form and championship situation than Marc’s works Ducati team-mate Pecco Bagnaia. We hear Bagnaia’s explanation for his current lack of pace, and give our take on where he’s lacking.

Plus Ai Ogura’s bizarre disqualification explained, Honda’s progress debated after Johann Zarco’s amazing weekend, fondness for the resurgent Franco Morbidelli and The Race Members’ Club reminds Simon that he predicted first-lap crasher/otherwise anonymous performer Marco Bezzecchi was going to win this race (which prompts a small argument about penalties).

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MotoGP’s 2027 rules reset has become even more seismic with the news the substantial technical regulation changes will coincide with Pirelli ousting Michelin as the series’ tyre supplier.

Simon Patterson joins Matt Beer to explain all the implications for the championship, teams and riders, and to answer The Race Members’ Club’s questions about the potential consequences.

We discuss what Pirelli’s work (and controversies) on the MotoGP ladder, in World Superbikes and even Formula 1 tells us about how its tyres might impact the quality and style of racing in MotoGP.

Is the tyre change a guarantee of a wide open and competitive 2027 season? Simon reckons so - find out why on the pod.

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It wasn’t just Marc Marquez dominating the 2025 MotoGP season-opener - it was the Marquez family, as his brother Alex not only backed him up in qualifying and both races but was also allowed to lead much of the grand prix to ensure Marc dodged a likely penalty.

Has that set the tone for the whole season to come? In the Thai Grand Prix episode of The Race MotoGP Podcast, Simon Patterson, Val Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer look at everything that led to the Marquez domination including Pecco Bagnaia’s inability to challenge his team-mate all weekend.

The quirk of his team switch that led to Marquez being at risk of a tyre penalty is explained too, along with the effect of the ferociously hot temperatures on a weekend that left many riders literally burned by their bikes.

Star rookie Ai Ogura and what his performance means for Aprilia features too, and we pass judgements on weekends of both highs and lows for Honda and Yamaha, but mostly lows for KTM. 

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The Race MotoGP Podcast (part-)convenes for an emergency episode in the lead-up to the 2025 season opener in Thailand.

Valentin Khorounzhiy and Simon Patterson discuss Jorge Martin's second pre-season injury, sustained in motocross training that was part of his rehab from the first injury, and the reports that it could write off nearly a quarter of his first season with Aprilia.

They also talk about KTM having its restructuring plan greenlit by creditors in Austria - preserving the company in its current state the day after BMW had been credited with a reported interest in buying it outright.

The mention of BMW briefly takes us into World Superbike land, where its MotoGP-linked star rider Toprak Razgatlioglu was notably unhappy after the season opener - and dropped a heavy-handed exit hint.

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After the massive grid shake-up and a wild winter of injuries and financial catastrophes, MotoGP enters its 2025 season this weekend with a lot of unknowns.

So it’s with some trepidation that The Race MotoGP Podcast’s Simon Patterson, Val Khorounzhiy, Megan White, Matt Beer and Ollie Card attempt to predict the 2025 final top 10 championship order.

How much will KTM’s crisis affect Pedro Acosta and Brad Binder on track this year? What will missing basically all of pre-season do for champion Jorge Martin’s Aprilia acclimatisation?

Is the Marco Bezzecchi resurgence real? Who’s right out of our Yamaha sceptics and Yamaha optimists?

And, of course, who’ll win that Marc Marquez vs Pecco Bagnaia Ducati duel?

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Ducati ended the 2025 MotoGP pre-season by going back to its 2024 engine and chassis - permanently in one case, probably temporarily in the other.

But it still looks like it’ll dominate the season even after that change of plan, as Simon Patterson, Val Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer explain on a slightly delirious end of pre-season testing episode of The Race MotoGP Podcast.

We assess where the Marc Marquez vs Pecco Bagnaia power balance stands, and how the works team’s switch back to largely 2024 kit affects those who thought they might have an early advantage from running older Ducatis - particularly Marc’s brother Alex.

Our star of pre-season isn’t actually a Ducati rider: it’s Aprilia signing Marco Bezzecchi. We explain why, and give our take on what Bezzecchi’s strong test in injured champion Jorge Martin’s absence means for Aprilia’s season.

Plus what to make of Yamaha, Honda and KTM’s test form.

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Yamaha was the big winner of the first full MotoGP test of 2025, with genuine evidence of a breakthrough over the winter and Fabio Quartararo looking the most likely rider in the field to take the fight to Ducati at the front right now.

Simon Patterson and Val Khorounzhiy join Matt Beer on The Race MotoGP Podcast to look at Yamaha’s progress, the reasons for it and whether that makes it a little race winner or even title challenger or just a firm second best to Ducati.

Which Ducati is even fastest right now, though? We also discuss the dilemma facing factory team-mates Pecco Bagnaia and Marc Marquez, and the opportunity for the three riders on the very well sorted 2024 Ducati to make a spectacular start to the season.

Honda’s perplexing test, how Aprilia fared in Jorge Martin’s absence and the many question marks around KTM are also assessed.

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Three riders are out injured after only one day of MotoGP 2025 pre-season testing proper, headlined by world champion Jorge Martin.

Simon Patterson joins Matt Beer on The Race MotoGP Podcast for an additional episode digging into what we know about the cause of Martin’s horrible crash on his first run with the 2025 Aprilia, what the prognosis is for his recovery and what it means for his and Aprilia’s season.

For the other two injured riders, a heavily compromised pre-season might be even more of a blow.

It’s the third time in his four MotoGP pre-seasons (and second in a row) when Raul Fernandez has been injured in a testing crash, while for Fabio Di Giannantonio it’s a fresh injury on his first day following major shoulder reconstruction surgery. And it seems the circumstances of the crash were pretty embarrassing too…

Injuries aside, there’s also a look at what we could learn from the times, upgrades and riders’ moods on day one.

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MotoGP’s fallen/recovering giants Yamaha and Honda held back to back 2025 season launch events in the final days before pre-season testing begins in earnest, and Simon Patterson has returned from them with very different impressions of the two once-great teams.

He joins Matt Beer on The Race MotoGP Podcast to explain why Yamaha looks so much more convincing going into 2025 - and it goes far deeper than just a better executed (and better timed and located) launch event.

What both teams have changed behind the scenes and how their riders feel about those efforts, whether Honda’s big signing will be allowed to do his best work and whether Yamaha is definitely as set on a V4 engine switch as everyone expects as among the other topics discussed.

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At a time when you might’ve thought it would want to avoid too much questioning given its parent company’s financial crisis, KTM boldly made its entire MotoGP rider and management line-up available for the media as it launched its 2025 programme on Thursday.

Fresh from quizzing them all, Val Khorounzhiy joins Matt Beer for an extra episode of The Race MotoGP Podcast to discuss what KTM motorsport boss Pit Beirer revealed about the firm’s future, 2025 preparations and even hopes of still being on the grid for the 2027 rule changes.

We also discuss how the riders are handling the unusual situation, and ask whether new factory team boss Aki Ajo’s assessment of what KTM still lacks might be a touch optimistic.

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As KTM prepares to launch its 2025 MotoGP campaign under the cloud of insolvency, is a series legend trying to lure away the Austrian firm’s greatest asset?

Valentin Khorounzhiy and Simon Patterson discuss reports that Valentino Rossi has sounded out Pedro Acosta over a MotoGP future together during the latter’s appearance at the Ranch.

Is it even possible that Acosta would leave KTM early - and are things actually looking up for its MotoGP project following the latest news from its insolvency process and its recent CEO change announcement?

Plus, with Franco Morbidelli officially ‘debuting’ as a VR46 rider during its own season launch, is it really possible that Rossi would willingly sideline Morbidelli?

Want more MotoGP podcast content? Sign up to our motorbike-only Riders tier on Patreon for that episode, ad-free listening and more. Head toPatreon.com/therace

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We’re winding the clock back to the epic and hugely contentious 2015 MotoGP season in a series of mini-podcasts exclusively for The Race Members’ Club on Patreon this year.

As voted for by the members, Simon Patterson, Val Khorounzhiy, Megan White and Matt Beer are reliving 2015’s unforgettable Valentino Rossi vs Marc Marquez vs Jorge Lorenzo three-way title fight round by round, with a few bonus detours along the way.

To give you a free taste of what it’s all about, here’s a segment from MotoGP 2015 Revisited’s first episode on the Qatar Grand Prix, which is available in full through The Race Members’ Club on Patreon now.

MotoGP now expects Ducati to dominate, but back at the start of 2015 it hadn’t won in half a decade and was only just finding its feet again - with a little help from Dorna’s rule concessions but also as its new technical chief Gigi Dall’Igna began to work his magic.

But Ducati still had to take on Yamaha’s legendary Rossi + Lorenzo line-up, and even they weren’t really expected to beat Honda rider Marquez to the championship given how he’d crushed the field in 2014 and followed up his astonishing 2013 title win as a rookie with an even more impressive campaign.

His 2015 campaign didn’t exactly begin well, though… here’s what Simon, Val, Megan and Matt made of it all.

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Simon Patterson reports from a pause in the four days of festivities, multiple unveilings and ski races that kicks off Ducati’s 2025 MotoGP season to join Val Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer on The Race MotoGP Podcast.

They discuss how Marc Marquez, Pecco Bagnaia and Ducati bosses tackled the potential pitfalls of the new superteam all-champion line-up.

With all the talk at the launch extremely measured and polite, is this just the calm before an on-track storm or a sign of how Marquez and Bagnaia will actually get on during a title fight? Or are we past the ‘age of the bastard’ these days?

All that, their difference in racing ethics, whether Ducati will be more or less dominant in 2025 and everything both Marquez and Ducati have given up in order to get together is discussed too, as well as how Marc’s old team Gresini kicked off its campaign at Imola a few days earlier.

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