Podcast: All the Catalan GP talking points reviewed
Fabio Quartararo returned to the top step of the podium and at the top of the MotoGP world standings after claiming victory in last Sunday's Catalan Grand Prix.
Quartararo endured a difficult run from Brno to the second Misano outing, failing to score a podium having dominated the opening two rounds of the year at Jerez back in July.
Managing the drop of his rear tyre after taking the lead on lap nine, Quartararo just held onto the win, with Suzuki's Joan Mir getting to within a second at the chequered flag. After nightmare races for Ducati's Andrea Dovizioso - whose race was ended by a crash - and Yamaha's Maverick Vinales, who struggled to ninth, Quartararo and Mir are beginning to emerge as the title favourites in this unpredictable 2020 campaign.
In the latest Tank Slappers podcast, Autosport's International Editor Lewis Duncan and Motorsport.com's Global MotoGP Editor Oriol Puigdemont discuss the title situation after the Catalan GP. The pair also discuss Valentino Rossi's decision to continue into 2021, and look at the problems facing KTM.
The epic sophomore showdown brewing in the MotoGP title race
Nakagami missed a “great opportunity” to win Catalan GP
Why Ducati holds all the power in its MotoGP rider dilemma
OPINION: The French Grand Prix looks to have made Ducati’s decision on its factory team line-up simpler, as Enea Bastianini stormed to his third win of the campaign and Jorge Martin crashed out for a fifth time in 2022. But, as Ducati suggests to Motorsport.com, it remains in the strongest position in a wild rider market
The seismic aftershock of Suzuki's decision to leave MotoGP
Suzuki's sudden decision to leave the MotoGP World Championship at the end of the season has acted as a stirring element in a market that had already erupted. We analyse what this means for the grid going into 2023
How the real Ducati began to emerge in MotoGP's Spanish GP
Ducati’s 2022 MotoGP bike has had a tough start to life and the expected early-season title charge from Francesco Bagnaia did not materialise. But the Spanish Grand Prix signalled a turning point for both the GP22 and Bagnaia, as the 2021 runner-up belatedly got his season underway after a straight fight with Fabio Quartararo
How praise for Honda's MotoGP bike has given way to doubt
In a little over two months, Honda has gone from setting the pace in MotoGP testing with its new RC213V prototype to being at a crossroads - caused by the discrepancy in its riders' feedback. After a Portuguese GP that underwhelmed, serious questions are now being asked of Honda in 2022
Why Quartararo's win was vital not only for his title hopes
Fabio Quartararo got his MotoGP title defence off the ground in the Portuguese Grand Prix as a dominant first win of 2022 rocketed him to the top of the standings. While a significant result in terms of his title hopes, it has come at an even more important time in terms of his 2023 contract negotiations
The MotoGP rookie fighting two fronts in his debut year
Darryn Binder has found himself in the unenviable position as MotoGP's most under-pressure rookie in 2022 having made the step directly from Moto3 with a reputation as an over-aggressive rider. This hasn't been an easy thing to shake at the start of the season, but he believes tangible progress is being made
How ‘Beast’ mode is putting Ducati in 2022 MotoGP title contention
Enea Bastianini’s second win of the 2022 campaign at COTA puts him back in the lead of the standings and once again showed the best Ducati package is still the 2021 bike. Those closest to Bastianini tell Motorsport.com why he’s so good on the GP21 relative to his factory counterparts.
How Espargaro helped Aprilia shed MotoGP's underdog tag
Aleix Espargaro became MotoGP's newest winner in a thrilling Argentina Grand Prix in which he also proved the merits of the Aprilia project. After six years of hard graft, both parties have reaped the rewards they have long thought they deserved. But it was several key moments in that journey that led both to that momentous Sunday at Termas de Rio Hondo.