Everything that's wrong with MotoGP's 2027 format changes

Marc Marquez is on the cusp of the 2026 MotoGP world title after a 32-point weekend in Qatar - but was Aprilia right to feel he got off easy after his sprint collision with Marco Bezzecchi? Val Khorounzhiy is joined by Simon Patterson and Jordan Moreland to discuss the big talking point of the unusual Lusail weekend and draw a line under Marco Bezzecchi’s title challenge - now one point away from being officially over.They also discuss Jorge Martin’s weekend heroics and the brutal collision between Pecco Bagnaia and Fermin Aldeguer that has left Bagnaia with a foot fracture. Also on the docket - two very, very impressive stand-in performances by Iker Lecuona and Jake Dixon.Want more of our MotoGP insight direct to your inbox? Sign up for our new free MotoGP newsletter The Lean Angle here: https://theracemedia.beehiiv.com/motogp-signup Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

MotoGP's Malaysian Grand Prix weekend ended with the title surely heading to Marc Marquez and most - but, crucially, not all - of the field heading for Qatar next after all.Simon Patterson, Val Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer take you through all the behind the scenes tensions of the Sepang event as unhappy riders stayed mostly silent until Jack Miller's Sunday night outburst, which was swiftly followed by a very dramatic move from Yamaha.On track in Malaysia, Jorge Martin's attempt to ride with a broken wrist brought approaches to rider fitness into the spotlight yet again, Marquez's barbed remarks about Aprilia tactics left us unimpressed while his pace blew Aprilia's remaining title hopes away, and KTM both won a race and confused everyone.Want more of our MotoGP insight direct to your inbox? Sign up for our new free MotoGP newsletter The Lean Angle here: https://theracemedia.beehiiv.com/motogp-signup Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

MotoGP's final visit to Phillip Island featured two days of intense track action and a potentially season-altering injury - but no main event.Matt Beer, Simon Patterson and Valentin Khorounzhiy discuss why MotoGP's grand prix race had to be called off, and whether the series could have done more to anticipate its Sunday cancellation.They also talk about Jorge Martin's arm-breaking crash in the sprint and his recovery timeline, with four - or three - rounds left in the season and a 10-point gap to new leader Marc Marquez.Finally, they go over the latest news about the Qatar GP (and riders' reticence to go) and the biggest MotoGP-F1 crossover so far of this new Liberty Media era.Want more of our MotoGP insight direct to your inbox? Sign up for our new free MotoGP newsletter The Lean Angle here: https://theracemedia.beehiiv.com/motogp-signup Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We now know all the details of MotoGP’s 2027 weekend format changes, and they’ve certainly divided opinion.Simon Patterson and Megan White join Matt Beer on The Race MotoGP Podcast to air their concerns and frustrations over how things are being shaken up in order to add a Friday qualifying session and a different grid for the sprint. They explain why they’re not against those outcomes, but have real problems with how they’re being achieved.Plenty of riders clearly have misgivings too, and are the stars of the championship really as powerless in all this as they seem to think they are?Want more of our MotoGP insight direct to your inbox? Sign up for our new free MotoGP newsletter The Lean Angle here: https://theracemedia.beehiiv.com/motogp-signup Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

MotoGP’s Indonesian Grand Prix weekend ended with an Aprilia 1-2-3-4 but that probably could have been the formation in every session and race had things not gone crazy in multiple ways.Simon Patterson, Val Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer analyse everything from the tyre pressure headaches that cost Jorge Martin a sprint win and led to Simon declaring the grand prix the “worst race” he’d seen in ages, to exactly what made Raul Fernandez so furious at Marco Bezzecchi on Saturday.Plus where it all leaves a title fight after a weekend in which lots and lots happened but the points picture barely changed - and whether Aprilia needs to deploy proper team orders now.Want more of our MotoGP insight direct to your inbox? Sign up for our new free MotoGP newsletter The Lean Angle here: https://theracemedia.beehiiv.com/motogp-signup Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

MotoGP 2026 is distilling into an ever-closer Marc Marquez vs Jorge Martin title showdown after the events of the Japanese Grand Prix weekend at Motegi.But their battle for victory was heavily influenced by the bizarre scenario of riders switching to a back-up tyre specification that they'd all expected to be terrible - but that was actually fantastic! All of which left some of the grid's deeper thinkers admitting to feeling pretty daft.Val Khorounzhiy, Simon Patterson and Eden Hannigan explain it all, give their thoughts on the direction of the title battle and hail great weekends for Enea Bastianini and Somkiat Chantra.Want more of our MotoGP insight direct to your inbox? Sign up for our new free MotoGP newsletter The Lean Angle here: https://theracemedia.beehiiv.com/motogp-signup Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

MotoGP's planning a big shake-up to its race weekend format in 2027 with a new way of forming sprint grids on the agenda. Does it actually need to? And if it does, what should it do? That's what Val Khorounzhiy, Jordan Moreland and Matt Beer debate in The Race MotoGP Podcast.Plus what we make of soon-to-be MotoGP rider Nicolo Bulega's World Superbike coronation, how the world might react to a second Jorge Martin title and Pedro Acosta's chances of kicking on with a winning streak.Want more of our MotoGP insight direct to your inbox? Sign up for our new free MotoGP newsletter The Lean Angle here: https://theracemedia.beehiiv.com/motogp-signup Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pedro Acosta is FINALLY a MotoGP grand prix winner - though only after putting KTM through the agony of his sprint blunder first.Simon and Val report from the Austrian Grand Prix on that error, that breakthrough win yet another title fight twist, as problems for Marc Marquez and a mysterious lack of Ducati pace coincided with perhaps Jorge Martin's strongest Aprilia weekend yet.Plus we answer The Race Members' Club's questions on everything from Taka Nakagami to Brad Binder and a particularly woeful Yamaha weekend.Get our MotoGP insight straight to your inbox - Sign up for our new MotoGP newsletter The Lean Angle here!Join The Race Members' Club: Sign up to our motorbike-only Riders tier on Patreon for our Revisited series, ad-free listening and more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Marc Marquez leads the MotoGP riders’ standings for the first time in 2026 after his Misano double win coincided with a weekend of pain for Aprilia.Given how many races Marquez has missed, his injury struggles, and Aprilia often having the better bike, is Marquez on course for his greatest MotoGP championship win so far?That’s one of the questions Val Khorounzhiy, Simon Patterson and Eden Hannigan debate on the San Marino Grand Prix episode of The Race MotoGP Podcast.Plus whether Marco Bezzecchi is psychologically strong enough for the pressures of a title fight and whether Jorge Martin is just not quite as fast as he used to be - regardless of Sunday’s arm pump issues.Get our MotoGP insight straight to your inbox - Sign up for our new MotoGP newsletter The Lean Angle here!Join The Race Members' Club: Sign up to our motorbike-only Riders tier on Patreon for our Revisited series, ad-free listening and more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Development work and access to Pirelli tyres are at the centre of a genuine row between Yamaha and its Honda-bound MotoGP factory rider Fabio Quartararo.But does Quartararo have a point, or is he simply being petulant?The Race MotoGP Podcast crew of Matt Beer, Val Khorounzhiy and Simon Patterson discuss the merits of Quartararo's gripe - and talk about other seasons by riders on their way out, like Brad Binder, Jack Miller and Pecco Bagnaia.Then they give a preview of the championship run-in.Join The Race Members' Club: Sign up to our motorbike-only Riders tier on Patreon for our 2015 revisited series, ad-free listening and more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.