Valencia GP review podcast: A new champion is crowned
Joan Mir ended a 20-year wait for Suzuki in Sunday’s Valencia Grand Prix when he won the 2020 MotoGP world championship.
The 23-year-old’s rise to MotoGP title glory was rapid, making his debut in Moto3 in 2016 before winning the title the year after. A single season in Moto2 gave way to his MotoGP debut last year with Suzuki.
The most consistent charger this season with six podiums and a grand prix victory, Mir prevailed in the maddest of MotoGP season’s with a seventh-place finish in a “nightmare” Valencia are to seal the title with a round to spare. Not since Kenny Roberts Jr in 2000 has Suzuki crowned a MotoGP world champion, with Mir joining an elite list of six to have achieved that honour with the Japanese manufacturer.
In the latest Tank Slappers Podcast, Autosport’s Lewis Duncan and Motorsport.com’s Oriol Puigdemont discuss MotoGP’s newest world champion.
They also delve into the conundrum that is Yamaha, after the 2020 M1 runners struggled while Franco Morbidelli took victory on his 2019 bike, while also discussing Cal Crutchlow’s MotoGP future.
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The three factors that crowned MotoGP's newest champion at Misano
The prospect of Fabio Quartararo clinching the 2021 MotoGP world championship title at Misano appeared small after struggling to 15th in qualifying, while main rival Francesco Bagnaia took pole. Here's how the Yamaha rider turned it around, with help from an ill-fated Bagnaia tyre choice, to secure the crown with two races to spare
Marco Simoncelli: Remembering MotoGP's ultimate maverick 10 years on
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Why Marc Marquez has to reinvent himself as a MotoGP rider
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How Ducati has developed MotoGP's most versatile bike
His third place at Misano made Enea Bastianini the fifth different Ducati-mounted rider to score a podium in 2021. Amid a season that has seen one rider amass the bulk of Yamaha and Honda's success, the Ducati's versatility makes for a potent weapon, but the contribution of a former leading light shouldn't be forgotten
The next steps in the rebuilding of a stalled MotoGP career
Maverick Vinales’ early debut with Aprilia has been one of the most interesting plots of the recent MotoGP rounds. The results may not look standout on paper, but a closer inspection reveals just how much progress Vinales has truly made in understanding a bike that has taken him well out of his “comfort zone”.
Why Misano was a pivotal race for MotoGP's present and future
On a day each of the podium trio could claim to be the star of the show, the San Marino GP will be remembered as a pivotal race in both MotoGP's present and future. While Fabio Quartararo demonstrated his world title credentials just behind Francesco Bagnaia's flawless victory charge, a new threat emerged from the shadows
