The biggest question facing every MotoGP manufacturer right now
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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1:03:36
BONUS: Qatar GP rider rankings Q&A special
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!
Head to Patreon.com/therace today to sign up.
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26:39
Vinales and KTM's Qatar GP dream dashed while Martin gets hurt again
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.
Want more MotoGP podcast content? Sign up to our motorbike-only Riders tier on Patreon for our 2015 revisited series, ad-free listening and more. Head to Patreon.com/therace
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1:09:14
New Razgatlioglu MotoGP intrigue + Martin's return
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.
Want more MotoGP podcast content? Sign up to our motorbike-only Riders tier on Patreon for our 2015 revisited series, ad-free listening and more. Head to Patreon.com/therace
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56:24
Marquez's bizarre MotoGP controversy explained
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.
Want more MotoGP podcast content? Sign up to our motorbike-only Riders tier on Patreon for our 2015 revisited series, ad-free listening and more. Head to Patreon.com/therace
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Everything you need to know from the fascinating world of MotoGP racing, with host Matt Beer, The-Race.com's MotoGP correspondent Simon Patterson and MotoGP editor Valentin Khorounzhiy, plus special guests. We'll be talking about all the races, the big storylines, and taking the occasional trip back into the sport's rich history as well. Join us for the ride!
Brasil