Where did Vinales' epic performance come from?

After two years of restricted development amid the pandemic, this winter MotoGP teams have finally had chance to properly get stuck in on tackling problems that in some cases they've been grappling with since the end of 2019.So as the field hits the track for Sepang testing, The Race MotoGP Podcast looks at what to expect, which teams' bikes will have changed most and who has most riding on the crucial pre-season days ahead.Simon Patterson and Valentin Khorounzhiy plus stand-in host Matt Beer debate everything from whether Yamaha actually wants to follow Fabio Quartararo's technical demands to Honda's hopes of finally updating an aero package that dates back to 2019, plus the hints that KTM might make a big step forward for personnel reasons rather than technical. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1 Feb 20221h 8min

The Race MotoGP podcast welcomes special guest Danilo Petrucci in its latest edition, as the Italian discusses his first attempt at the Dakar Rally.Petrucci, a two-time race winner in grand prix racing's premier class, left MotoGP at the end of last season but was set up with a shot at the Dakar by employer KTM - which yielded a stage win and several other standout performances.Joining host Toby Moody and MotoGP writers Simon Patterson and Valentin Khorounzhiy, Petrucci discusses the highs but also the lows of his experience in Saudi Arabia, telling stories of frantically trying to find a path when getting lost in the desert and of coming close to pulling out of the rally entirely shortly after his fifth-stage triumph.The Italian also addresses the one part of the Dakar he still struggles to accept, and touches upon why he is set to make a return to road racing in MotoAmerica this season instead of tackling the cross-country world championship - and what this means for his future Dakar plans. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

26 Jan 202252min

Marc Marquez was a last-minute addition to a Honda media event last week, and during his time answering questions on his recovery from his latest injuries, he opened up a great deal. Guest host Matt Beer discusses what Marquez told us with Simon Patterson and Valentin Khorounzhiy, plus what we should expect from him after another winter of recovery, and the importance of Honda making a big step with its machinery for 2022. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

16 Jan 202258min

For our first episode of 2022 we're switching our attention to 2023... in line with the series' tendency to finalise rider contracts a year in advance.Host Matt Beer - filling in for Toby Moody, away on Dakar Rally duties - is joined by Simon Patterson and Valentin Khorounzhiy to discuss the biggest question marks of the impending 2023 rider market.With only three riders signed through '23, the trio ponder whether the series' two latest champions Joan Mir and Fabio Quartararo could really be on the move - with both having made it clear that they will be listening to offers.They also consider the futures of the likes of Suzuki's Alex Rins, KTM's Miguel Oliveira and Ducati's Jack Miller - as well as looking into potential reshuffles in the satellite rosters.At the end of the show, they finalise their rough mock-up of the 2023 grid. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

7 Jan 202258min

It's fitting to end the year by saying goodbye and thank you to Valentino Rossi with our final episode of 2021. Toby Moody, Simon Patterson and Valentin Khorounzhiy reflect on the great Italian's journey through grand prix racing, from his early days in 125s and 250s, to how he took MotoGP by storm. We look back on the successes, the failures, the rivalries, the mad celebrations, the injuries, and most importantly the incredible memories Rossi's career has given everyone who follows two-wheeled racing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

21 Dec 20211h 3min

A key move behind the scenes in MotoGP this winter is KTM's decision to replace longstanding team manager Mike Leitner with Pramac Ducati's Francesco Guidotti, after a disappointing season for the Austrian manufacturer, which failed to build on the progress it made in 2020.Toby Moody, Simon Patterson and Valentin Khorounzhiy discuss what the move means for both teams, and assess how much KTM has achieved since it joined the MotoGP grid in 2017. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

14 Dec 202145min

Ranking the top 10 riders of the 2021 season is the mission in our latest episode.But with panel Toby Moody, Simon Patterson, Valentin Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer having all put forward their own individual top 10s to create our definitive rating, there's plenty of passionate debate over who ended up where once everyone's scores were factored in.And the end result is a top 10 with a very different look to the final championship standings, after a year in which very little ran according to the form book amid the shock breakthroughs, surprise underperformers and even mid-season splits.The Race MotoGP Podcast will continue through the off-season with regular episodes tackling the latest news in what's already proving to be an eventful winter, assessing 2021 in depth and looking ahead to a tantalising 2022 season. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

3 Dec 20211h 16min

Every MotoGP manufacturer was in action at Jerez last week for the traditional post-season test, which serves as a starting point for preparations for the new season. Toby Moody, Simon Patterson and Valentin Khorounzhiy cover all the major talking points, from Ducati's early warning shot, concern for 2021 champion Fabio Quartararo, and what sort of shape Honda is in despite Marc Marquez having to miss the test due to injury. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

22 Nov 202139min