Paddock Pass Podcast Episode 356: Magny-Cours Extravaganza - What Does Rea To Yamaha Mean?

By David Emmett | Fri, 15/09/2023 - 09:39

With Magny-Cours WorldSBK round clashing with Misano MotoGP, we have a double dose of Paddock Pass Podcast action for you. In this week's World Superbike edition, Steve English and Gordon Ritchie look back at the French round of the production series.

The biggest topic in WorldSBK right now is Jonathan Rea's decision to switch from Kawasaki, the manufacturer he has had so much success with, to Yamaha. Will Rea get back to winning? Steve and Gordo dive into the details, and assess the move. They also talk about the repercussions the switch will have for the remaining open seats in WorldSBK, and look back at the controversies and action from Magny-Cours.

Paddock Pass Podcast Episode 355: Jorge Martin's Mind Games, And Marc Marquez' Dilemma

By David Emmett | Tue, 12/09/2023 - 17:36

The Misano MotoGP race may have been tense, but it was not by any stretch of the imagination a thriller. On the Monday morning, as the MotoGP test got underway, David Emmett, Neil Morrison, and Adam Wheeler convened to talk through the events of the weekend.

First we ask why the racing is so processional, with it so difficult to overtake. We ask why Jorge Martin is pretending he can't be 2023 MotoGP champion. We discuss the drawn out drama surrounding Marc Marquez and his future. We pay tribute to Mike Trimby, founder and CEO of IRTA. And Adam interviews Bob Moore of the Wasserman Media Group on what a rider manager does and what goes in to negotiating a contract.

2023 Misano MotoGP Test Notes - What The Five Factories Were Working On At Misano

By David Emmett | Mon, 11/09/2023 - 21:37

With just two days of testing during the MotoGP season, track time outside of race weekends is like gold dust. Just over halfway through the season, teams and riders find themselves with a lot of questions needing urgent answers. Factory engineers have their own agendas, with prototypes and new ideas to collect data on in preparation for the first post-season test at Valencia, to give themselves enough time to get bikes and engines ready for 2024.

Michelin, too, have things they want testing. New compounds for 2024, and very early work on the 2025 front tire which is meant to solve the current woes with tire pressure caused by ride-height devices and aero. That tire is reserved for test riders, however. The MotoGP regulars won't get their hands on it until Valencia or Sepang at the earliest.

So there was an awful lot to test on Monday at Misano. A new engine, chassis and aero for Yamaha, a new bike (sans engine) for Honda, carbon-fiber frames for KTM and Aprilia, and experiments with suspension and setup and bike geometry to work through.

2023 Misano MotoGP Test Times Morning Session: Marini Tops First Session Of The Test

By David Emmett | Mon, 11/09/2023 - 11:21

Luca Marini took over at the top of the timesheets from Jorge Martin at the end of the morning session at the Misano MotoGP test. The session ended at 12:45, and was followed by a session of practice starts, where the KTM once again looked to be the best off the line.

Marc Marquez has tried the latest iteration of the Honda RC213V, using a 2023 engine, and said there were some improvements, but the bike still lacked the rear grip which is their biggest problem.

Results:

2023 Misano MotoGP Test Times 12 Noon: Martin Leads Viñales As Test Starts

By David Emmett | Mon, 11/09/2023 - 10:18

It's a busy day at the Misano test, with new parts and bikes filling factory garages. In the Repsol Honda garage, Marc Marquez and Joan Mir have one of the bikes they used this weekend and one of the new bikes Stefan Bradl ran at the Misano round. Takaaki Nakagami has a bike with a frame used by the Repsol Honda riders plus a bike with his own Kalex frame.

Misano MotoGP Sunday Subscriber Notes: Great Venue, Poor Racing, And Just How Good A Development Rider Dani Pedrosa Really Is

By David Emmett | Sun, 10/09/2023 - 23:40

Nearly 80,000 fans (technically, 71,000 paying spectators and 8,000 people in the VIP Village and paddock, some of whom might even have been fans) crammed into the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli on Sunday to see a feast of Italian racing. They got what they came for: three Italian bikes on the podium, eight Italian bikes in the top ten, two Italians on the podium.

The only thing they missed out on was an Italian winner. In Moto3, it was the Colombian David Alonso who won a fierce final lap battle to take victory. In Moto2, the Spaniard Pedro Acosta controlled the race pretty much from the start. And MotoGP, Jorge Martin led a replica of Saturday's sprint race podium, the Pramac Ducati rider making it two Spanish wins on the day. Local fans had to make do with hearing Il Canto degli Italiani twice on Saturday, when Mattia Casadei and Nicholas Spinelli took victory in the two MotoE races, and Casadei was crowned MotoE world champion.

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