MotoGP rider Luca Marini on VR46 realities, Rossi's shadow and weight debate
VR46 Ducati MotoGP rider Luca Marini joins The Race MotoGP Podcast for this week's very special interview episode.The 25-year-old Italian, brother of MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi, ended his second season in the premier class in 12th place and will remain with the Rossi-owned VR46 outfit next year.Marini chats to Simon Patterson and Valentin Khorounzhiy about his MotoGP methods and the balancing act between camaraderie and high-stakes competition within Rossi's increasingly-successful VR46 Academy talent programme.As the tallest rider in MotoGP, at 1m84cm according to the series, he also outlines his position on a combined rider/bike minimum weight and why he feels the series should act in this regard.Finally, Marini - increasingly regarded by a few as one of the grid's most eloquent and thoughtful figures - explains his attitude towards the media and opens up on whether he's uncomfortable facing questions about his legend brother.Got a question for the show? Send a voicenote to podcasts@the-race.comFollow The Race on Instagram, Twitter and FacebookCheck out our latest videos on YouTubeDownload our brand-new app on iOS or AndroidFor MotoGP news, analysis and must-read features visit the-race.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
17 Nov 202251min
2023 first look: Honda and Yamaha splutter out of the blocks
Official MotoGP track action signed off for 2022 with a single post-season test day in Valencia, with Japanese giants Honda and Yamaha both failing to impress.Honda's lead rider Marc Marquez saw insufficient progress from his RC213V bike, while Yamaha's hoped-for and expected engine gains were suddenly nowhere to be seen.Toby Moody is joined by Simon Patterson and Valentin Khorounzhiy to discuss the feedback from the test along with how riders getting their first taste of new machinery fared.They find themselves particularly impressed with Miguel Oliveira's Aprilia debut and discuss what looked like a pair of low-key Honda baptisms for Joan Mir and Alex Rins.Finally, they tackle the question of whether or not champion Pecco Bagnaia should switch to number one next year.Got a question for the show? Send a voicenote to podcasts@the-race.comFollow The Race on Instagram, Twitter and FacebookCheck out our latest videos on YouTubeDownload our brand-new app on iOS or AndroidFor MotoGP news, analysis and must-read features visit the-race.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
9 Nov 202248min
Bagnaia holds his nerve to end Ducati's MotoGP drought
The Race MotoGP Podcast convenes to discuss the 2022 season finale in Valencia, as Pecco Bagnaia held on to clinch Ducati's first riders' title since 2007 in a nervier-than-anticipated weekend.Host Toby Moody is joined by Simon Patterson and Valentin Khorounzhiy to discuss Bagnaia's race and contact with rival Fabio Quartararo, and how the weekend had offered glimpses of genuine title intrigue before a Sunday that largely lived up to pre-weekend expectations.They also talk about whether Bagnaia's success shows Valentino Rossi's VR46 Academy is the now the template for talent development and how much credit Ducati deserves for identifying and improving its new champion.Suzuki's bittersweet farewell win - and whether it proved the manufacturer's board wrong - is also on the agenda, as is another statement ride by KTM's Brad Binder, the 2023 prospects of Pramac Ducati's Jorge Martin and Aprilia's perhaps worst meltdown of the season.Got a question for the show? Send a voicenote to podcasts@the-race.comFollow The Race on Instagram, Twitter and FacebookCheck out our latest videos on YouTubeDownload our brand-new app on iOS or AndroidFor MotoGP news, analysis and must-read features visit the-race.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
7 Nov 202252min
Can Quartararo do the unthinkable or is Bagnaia's coronation unstoppable?
Coming into the 2022 MotoGP title showdown, Yamaha is hoping to end up on the other side of the kind of last-race drama that denied it and Valentino Rossi the 2006 crown.But how much encouragement can Fabio Quartararo really take from the late Nicky Hayden's triumph, and what is his likeliest path to a decidedly unlikely second championship this year?Toby Moody is joined by Valentin Khorounzhiy and Simon Patterson to discuss MotoGP's history of last-race title turnarounds, and why there is another example that's more relevant to Quartararo's hopes of defeating Pecco Bagnaia than the 2006 finale.They also talk about the battle for third place in the standings between Aleix Espargaro and Enea Bastianini, and the state of Honda's bid to avoid the ignominy of finishing last in MotoGP's constructors standings for the first time ever.Finally, they discuss the idea of safety cars in MotoGP and the current state of wet-weather racing in the series.Got a question for the show? Send a voicenote to podcasts@the-race.comFollow The Race on Instagram, Twitter and FacebookCheck out our latest videos on YouTubeDownload our brand-new app on iOS or AndroidFor MotoGP news, analysis and must-read features visit the-race.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
1 Nov 202245min
Bagnaia and Ducati on brink of 2022 title - but headed for 2023 headache?
Sepang has left Pecco Bagnaia on the brink of the 2022 MotoGP crown - but also reinforced the fact he is set to face a monumental intra-team challenge at Ducati next year.Bagnaia's key Malaysian GP win under pressure from future team-mate Enea Bastianini takes centre stage in the post-Sepang episode of The Race MotoGP Podcast, as the crew tackle the question of just how hard Bastianini raced Bagnaia and what his motivations were in the duel.Stand-in host Matt Beer is joined by regulars Valentin Khorounzhiy and Simon Patterson to also discuss Fabio Quartararo's heroic ride to keep his championship hopes alive going into Valencia, and what specific stars would need to align for the Frenchman to somehow overhaul Bagnaia.Also discussed is the end of Aprilia's title fairytale, another weekend of two halves for the pole record-smashing/bike-smashing Jorge Martin, and whether Marc Marquez's weekend was encouraging or par for the course.Finally, the crew dedicate a few minutes each to touch upon lacking MotoGP safety commission attendance at Sepang and the increasingly wacky Moto2 title race.Follow The Race on Instagram, Twitter and FacebookCheck out our latest videos on YouTubeDownload our brand-new app on iOS or AndroidFor MotoGP news, analysis and must-read features visit the-race.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
24 Okt 20221h 9min
Has Quartararo's Australia collapse handed the title to Bagnaia?
Two big errors by Fabio Quartararo in the Australian Grand Prix mean his title rival Pecco Bagnaia now has a pretty clear run at the 2022 MotoGP world championship.But is Quartararo messing up another title bid, or is it a massive tribute to him that he's even led the championship on a poor Yamaha?That's one of the many, many things Simon Patterson, Valentin Khorounzhiy and stand-in host Matt Beer debate in the Phillip Island episode of The Race MotoGP Podcast.Overshadowed by the dramatic title fights, Suzuki finally won a race again - just weeks before it exits MotoGP. After so many weekends when Suzuki hinted it had amazing race pace, this time it actually did - but why now? We explain.The podcast also dives into the clearest signs yet that Marc Marquez will be a 2023 title contender, Alex Marquez's penalty for slamming into Jack Miller, the effective end of Aprilia's championship dream and a bizarre race for long-shot championship protagonist Enea Bastianini.Follow The Race on Instagram, Twitter and FacebookCheck out our latest videos on YouTubeDownload our brand-new app on iOS or AndroidFor MotoGP news, analysis and must-read features visit the-race.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
17 Okt 202257min
MotoGP's aero war: Has it hurt racing and is it here to stay?
Has the aero war turned MotoGP racing subpar, and what can be done to recapture the glorious duels of seasons past?This is the main topic of discussion in the latest episode of The Race MotoGP Podcast, featuring host Toby Moody, Simon Patterson and Valentin Khorounzhiy.The quality of racing across the 2022 season and the impact and aesthetics of the aero appendages are touched upon, while Simon offers an important update on Michelin's development of its next MotoGP front tyre.The trio also look forward to the final three venues of the 2022 season, and answer a series of listener questions - such as whether Alex Marquez's move to Ducati is a potential precursor to brother Marc doing the same, and which riders on the grid are best-suited to winning on multiple bikes.Follow The Race on Instagram, Twitter and FacebookCheck out our latest videos on YouTubeDownload our brand-new app on iOS or AndroidFor MotoGP news, analysis and must-read features visit the-race.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
12 Okt 20221h 5min
Who is favourite to win the 2022 MotoGP title after Thai GP swing?
Having cut a 91-point deficit to Fabio Quartararo to just two points in the last three months, momentum is with Pecco Bagnaia in the 2022 MotoGP world championship fight.But does that make him title favourite, or is reigning champion Quartararo still going to be too tough to overcome in normal circumstances? And can Aleix Espargaro still spring a surprise? And should we even count out Enea Bastianini and Jack Miller?Simon Patterson and Valentin Khorounzhiy join stand-in host Matt Beer on The Race MotoGP Podcast to debate what might happen in the championship denouement after the action in Thailand.Likely form at the three remaining tracks, potential weather curveballs and the role of Ducati's massive gaggle of bikes and approach to team orders all play into our panel's deliberations.The latest information about Marc Marquez's progress back towards full fitness and competitiveness, Danilo Petrucci's comeback, the shocking video that emerged of a physical assault in a Moto3 garage in 2019, and Buriram winner Miguel Oliveira's wild form fluctuations are also discussed.Follow The Race on Instagram, Twitter and FacebookCheck out our latest videos on YouTubeDownload our brand-new app on iOS or AndroidFor MotoGP news, analysis and must-read features visit the-race.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
4 Okt 20221h 1min
