Paddock Pass Podcast

The year is in the books for the Paddock Pass Podcast and we'll close it out with our final show. Steve and Gordo review the year that was with topics such as our rider of the year, round of the year, surprise of the season and others covered!

The cooling-off period has ended, the final interviews have been written-up, some listener questions have been dealt-with, so now’s the time for the last call on the longest Grand Prix season on record: Our Moments, Surprises, Favourite/Worst races, Disappointments and more. Thanks to Renthal Street for supporting the podcast. Head to the Renthal website for handlebars, sprockets, chains, and more, using the Fit Your Bike tool. www.renthal.com/road/ Sign up for for exclusive content from the MotoGP and WorldSBK paddocks https://patreon.com/paddockpasspodcast

2025 is almost at an end and there is a feel for the future in the raft of listener questions we received for the latest Paddock Pass Podcast. 2027 rider moves, technical presumptions, Liberty’s changes, recommendations and more from Adam, David, Neil and Steve. Pic by Polarity Photo Neil: The Director - Daniel Kehlmann https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/220160387-the-director David Fintan O'Toole - We Don't Know Ourselves https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56769525-we-don-t-know-ourselves Naomi Kritzer - Liberty's Daughter https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/192777167-liberty-s-daughter Steve: Patrick Radden Keefe - Say Nothing https://saynothingbook.com/ Peter Brown - The Wild Robot https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26030734-the-wild-robot https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wild_Robot Adam: Motorcycle Grand Prix - Insider Stories from World Championship Racing. https://www.amazon.com/Motorcycle-Grand-Prix-Insider-Championship/dp/1789296773/ The Bear - Season 3, Hulu Faithless - Champion Sound https://www.roughtrade.com/en-de/product/faithless/champion-sound#51969535017291 Thanks to Renthal Street for supporting the podcast. Head to the Renthal website for handlebars, sprockets, chains, and more, using the Fit Your Bike tool. www.renthal.com/road/ Thanks also Pole Position Travel. Go to the Pole Position website to book a package to visit a MotoGP or WorldSBK round, Use code PPOD25X for a discount. www.polepositiontravel.com Sign up for for exclusive content from the MotoGP and WorldSBK paddocks https://patreon.com/paddockpasspodcast

By popular demand of our Patreon supporters Simon Crafar joins on this week's podcast to explain his role as the Chairman of the FIM Stewards Panel for MotoGP. If you'd like to support the podcast check out patreon.com/paddockpasspodcast. The 500GP race winner has built a reputation within the paddock as a rider, an engineer, a commentator and now as an FIM Steward. When Neil sat down with Simon he explained the strengths of each member of his team and how they make decisions based on numerous factors. This interview is a fascinating insight into what can be one of the most controversial roles in the sport and how Simon has approached the job!

Part 2 of our WorldSBK season review! Steve and Gordo are once again joined by Alex Raby to break down the WorldSBK season. In Part 2 of our review we look at Alvaro Bautista's form, Locatelli picking up his first win, Bimota's return to WorldSBK and much more. The debate for our Top 5 heated up so let us know your thoughts on who makes your list!

WIth another year is in the books for the Paddock Pass Podcast covering the Superbike World Championship Steve and Gordo are joined by Alex Raby to break down the campaign that saw Toprak Razgatlioglu sign off his Superbike career as a triple champion before finally getting his MotoGP chance. Nicolo Bulega impressed everyone from the start of the season and we look at the Italian's performance to become Ducati's team leader. His performance was such that he effectively relegated Alvaro Bautista to a Bologna after thought. With Toprak moving on, Bulega having had a chance in MotoGP and Jonathan Rea retiring from full-time racing what does the future hold for WorldSBK and how is the overall health of the series? Later in the week we'll have Part 2 of our WorldSBK season review where we'll look at some of the other performers through the season and debate our Top 5 riders of the season

That’s it! 2025 MotoGP finally reaches the flag but not before Adam, David and Neil are able to get through the talking points and highlights of Round 22 at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit. Another Italian victory but Moto2 also breaks new ground. Our ‘Moments’, ‘Hire and Fires’ and ‘Grades’ as Dave also starts to salivate at the prospect of the first 2026 test. Thanks to Renthal Street for supporting the podcast. Head to the Renthal website for handlebars, sprockets, chains, and more, using the Fit Your Bike tool. www.renthal.com/road/ Thanks also Pole Position Travel. Go to the Pole Position website to book a package to visit a MotoGP or WorldSBK round, Use code PPOD25X for a discount. www.polepositiontravel.com Sign up for for exclusive content from the MotoGP and WorldSBK paddocks https://patreon.com/paddockpasspodcast

Hello Valencia. It’s good to be back. Neil, David and Adam pick up the mics on the eve of the twenty-second and last Grand Prix of the year (don’t forget the test!) to run the rule on the Ricardo Tormo. They are also joined in Spain by MotoGP journo Don, Mat Oxley, who chats about his new book on Marc Marquez.

The clock is now ticking on the final days and hours of the 2025 MotoGP season so Adam, David and Neil go through the big talking points (plus our usual categories and listener questions) from the Media Centre at the Algarve International Circuit. Is Aprilia the best bike on the grid now, or just at some tracks? How Dani Pedrosa has helped Pedro Acosta. What KTM needs to make the next step. Why Diogo Moreira is ready for MotoGP. Plus Adam and David argue about radios, and Neil wishes we didn't have so many power cuts. Thanks to Renthal Street for supporting the podcast. Head to the Renthal website for handlebars, sprockets, chains, and more, using the Fit Your Bike tool. www.renthal.com/road/ Thanks also Pole Position Travel. Go to the Pole Position website to book a package to visit a MotoGP or WorldSBK round, Use code PPOD25X for a discount. www.polepositiontravel.com Sign up for for exclusive content from the MotoGP and WorldSBK paddocks https://patreon.com/paddockpasspodcast

Adam and Neil welcome back the force-of-nature that is David Emmett to the MotoGP Media Centre and the motomatters scribe is full of beans for the first day of the Portuguese Grand Prix. The guys discuss HRC’s arrival to concessions status, riders’ thoughts on the Algarve International Circuit and the Sepang aftermath plus other topics

The full crew get on the mics to chew through three main topics surrounding MotoGP (and a bit of WorldSBK this week) as well as look ahead to the penultimate round of 2025 at the Algarve International Circuit. Can Pedro Acosta finally get his first win? Should they bring back warm up for Moto2 and Moto3? Can Nicolo Bulega score points in Portimao? Can WorldSBK riders succeed in MotoGP, and what is the history? Predictions? Win/Lose? Plus more… Thanks to Renthal Street for supporting the pod https://www.renthal.com/road/ Thanks also Pole Position Travel. They still have a couple of their Deluxe Packages available for the Valencia GP. Book fast! https://www.polepositiontravel.com/motogp/valencia/2025/packages

Adam and Neil are on the ground in Malaysia and call-up Dave to chew through some of the heroics and hiccups of the 20th round of the season. After discussing the shocking start to the day with the Moto3 accident the guys also speak about Alex Marquez’s third win, Pecco’s puncture, KTM’s bounceback and the ongoing Honda revival. Plus, ‘Moments’, ‘Hire & Fires’ and ‘Grades’.

Rain, rain, rain. A soggy day at the Sepang International Circuit didn’t quite dampen the enthusiasm for the 20th Grand Prix of the year. Adam and Neil are joined by the charm of Renita Vermeulen to talk about what was said and heard on Thursday as well as Australian GP residue.

As the final round of the WorldSBK dawned it seemed like a foregone conclusion. There was little doubt that Toprak Razgatlioglu would be crowned for a third time as champion. Nicolo Bulega had proven to be an admirable rival but ultimately Toprak would have too much for his rival...that was the plan at least! The reality was quite different and ultimately Sunday's Superbike action was the flashpoint of the season. Steve English and Gordon Ritchie guide you through the hows and whys of Spanish Round of WorldSBK

Surprising, riveting, overdue? The 35th Australian Grand Prix provided another notable episode of MotoGP. Adam and Dave down another coffee and call Neil who’s wrapped up against the Phillip Island winds to talk about round nineteen of the season.

No Marquez, no Martin, no Maverick but arguably the most inviting and open palette for the Australian Grand Prix this weekend. Apart from the weather. Adam, David and Neil (on the ground in Victoria) record their thoughts and opinions in the wake of the rider debriefs and ongoings at ‘PI’ on Thursday.

After a busy weekend in Portugal Steve and Gordo break down the action from Estoril. As usual in 2025 Toprak Razgatlioglu and Nicolo Bulega shared the spoils. The duo will bring their title fight down to the final round of the year this weekend at Jerez and we look at how on Sunday it seemed that everyone had their own narrative to push... There was lots to talk about. Hard racing, weight ballast petitions, the rider and crew chief market and much more. Over the course of an hour we still couldn't cover all the news so check out Patreon.com/PaddockPassPodcast for our Paddock Notes show on Thursday to hear even more from inside the WorldSBK paddock

Favourite Phillip Island memories, the state of MotoGP without Marc Marquez (who can possible win in Australia?), thoughts on the series’ best racetrack and more as Adam, David and Neil anticipate round 19 of 2025.

If you love a surprise, the Indonesian MotoGP round at Mandalika was the grand prix weekend for you. A rookie winner, the favourite taking the champion out, and the man who dominated Motegi sinking without a trace. Why did Mandalika turn out this way? Neil, Steve, and David talk you through a tricky track, Fermin Aldeguer's triumph, Marco Bezzecchi's moment of madness, Pecco Bagnaia's depths of despair and much more.

Neil and David are joined by MotoGP commentator and presenter Louis Suddaby, who dials in from the media centre at the Pertamina Mandalika Circuit, to talk through the morning after the weekend before. What's Pecco Bagnaia's strategy for this weekend now that he's proven his mettle once more? Where will newly crowned champion Marc Marquez find his motivation now the title is wrapped up? Is Miguel Oliveira's MotoGP future really over even if he's off to WorldSBK in 2026? All these questions are discussed plus insights on the Fabios (Quartararo and Di Giannantonio) and our ones to watch this weekend.