Podcast: What Rossi's replacement choice says about Lorenzo
Yamaha has lined up World Superbike rider Garrett Gerloff as a replacement for Valentino Rossi should he be unable to race in the MotoGP European Grand Prix due to COVID-19.
Rossi missed the Aragon double-header after catching the virus and failed a COVID-19 test on Tuesday, forcing Yamaha to line up a replacement should he also test positive on Wednesday.
Gerloff rode an R1 for the GRT Yamaha WSBK team in his debut season in the series in 2020, scoring three podiums. Given this weekend will mark his MotoGP debut, it has raised questions as to why Yamaha's official test rider Jorge Lorenzo was not given the nod.
With the triple MotoGP world champion admitting last week he is speaking to Aprilia as well as Yamaha about a test rider role in 2021, does this latest snub – after Yamaha elected against fielding him last month at the Teruel GP – suggest Lorenzo will indeed part ways with the Japanese marque at the end of the year?
This is the main topic of discussion in this week's Tank Slappers podcast with Autosport's Lewis Duncan and Motorsport.com's Oriol Puigdemont.
The guys also preview the upcoming European GP in Valencia, which kicks off the final triple-header of the campaign and the first round of the championship showdown between Joan Mir, Fabio Quartararo, Maverick Vinales, Franco Morbidelli, Andrea Dovizioso and Alex Rins.
Just 32 points covers the six riders with 75 up for grabs across the Valencia/Portugal triple-header.
Yamaha names Rossi's standby for European GP
Lecuona ruled out of European GP due to quarantine rules
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.