The Tank Slappers with Lewis and Uri: Recent Episodes
The Tank Slappers with Lewis and Uri
It it goes fast on two wheels, you'll find it here on the Tank Slappers Podcast, with Lewis Duncan and Oriol Puigdemont. MotoGP, World Superbikes, British Superbikes, Road Racing and more
Marc Marquez's domination of MotoGP in 2025 continued as the sport travelled to Brno for Round 12 of the Championship. It was another double victory for Marquez with the Sprint and the Grand Prix win, but it wasn't straight-forward, especially on Saturday. Dre Harrison, Richard Asher and Oriol Puigdemont break down why Marquez had to intentionally drop the lead of the race due to warnings over tyre pressures, and how Dorna got their sums wrong when caluclating its own regulation.
With Alex Marquez crashing in the GP, it pushes older brother Marc's Championship lead up to 120 points, and made way for Marco Bezzecchi to lead the fight for Aprilia, taking his second runner-up finish in the last three weekend. With Raul Fernandez finishing as top independent and Jorge Martin back and happy in 7th, is Aprilia back on a positive upswing?
There's also a discussion on a potentially huge story - MotoGP's manufacteurs banding together against Dorna Sports as rights holders for the sport, to ask for a bigger slice of the overall revenue, and to own their own slots on the grid, rather than have them be at Dorna's discretion. Is a "Concorde Agreement" reachable between the parties, and is this more to do with Liberty's recent acquisition?
Finally, the 2026 MotoGP calendar has dropped, with Brazil making its debut for 2026 in March, and promise of a return to Argentina's Buenos Aries in 2027.
Tank Slappers is back to review a hectic German GP at the Sachsenring, which celebrated a record crowd of over 250,000 across the four days.
Marc Marquez took his fourth consecutive double victory and seventh in 2025 so far, but he had to earn his 10th Sprint win of the season after an early mistake dropped him to fifth on the opening lap. Dre Harrison, Richard Asher and Oriol Puigdemont break down why Marquez is still "cruising" at this level, including his seven-second victory in Sunday's Grand Prix.
The German GP was also a race of extreme attrition. By the time the race started, the field was down to 18 starters, with Maverick Vinales and Franco Morbidelli out via injury, and Enea Bastianini suffering a bout of appendicitis. To make matters worse, only 10 riders finished the race, the lowest amount for a MotoGP race since Australia 2011. Why? Six crashes at Turn 1, one of the nastiest on the calendar. Dre explains what makes the hairpin at the Sachsenring one of the trickiest on the whole calendar.
There's also reaction to the news that the Jorge Martin contract dispute is seemingly over, with the World Champion set to stay at the team and announce said news at a press conference in Brno next week. Oriol explains how a protracted court battle and the Assen speech made by Carmelo Ezepelta left Martin virtually no choice but to concede in his fight against Aprilia.
Dre Harrison and Oriol Puigdemont return to host another edition of Tank Slappers, as Marc Marquez made history at the 100th Anniversary of racing at the Assen TT. With his 68th Premier Class victory, he tied the legendary Giacomo Agostini for second on the all-time wins list, with only Valentino Rossi ranking higher.
But Marquez didn't have it easy - Aprilia's Marco Bezzecchi pushed him all the way to the flag, but was unable to get close enough to pass for the win. Dre and Oriol discuss how this plays perfectly into the Mugello talk from fans and some members of the media in regards to Alex Marquez's racecraft and the allegations that the Marquez brothers weren't racing each other hard enough, and why more criticism should be levelled at Pecco Bagnaia's garage...
There's more on Alex Marquez during the show, after the Spaniard broke the metacarpal in his hand after crashing into Pedro Acosta in the Grand Prix, and with it, falling to 68 points behind brother Marc in the Championship standings.
Jorge Martin is back in the news after his agent continued to up the pressure on Aprilia, by claiming his client is still leaving at the end of the season, with Aprilia continuing to deny that the release clause exists in a feud where even Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezepelta's had to intervene. Is there any resoultion on the horizon?
And finally, with his first win in Moto2 confirmed, is Diego Moreira on the way to MotoGP? Oriol discusses the Brazilian's options with the sport keen to promote him with a home Grand Prix set for 2026.
After a year of announcements, wait, anticipation and an investigation by the European Commission, Liberty Media were finally given the green light to complete their majority purchase of Dorna Sports, the commercial rights holders of MotoGP, for $4.2 billion. On this week's episode of Tank Slappers, Dre Harrison, Richard Asher and Uri Puigdemont break down the move and what they hope will be the key areas that Liberty focuses on in order to grow the sport, such as revenue sharing, marketing improvements, and getting people to care about the riders, like F1 has with "Drive to Survive".
All the action from the past weekend's Italian Grand Prix is also reviewed, with Marc Marquez taking control early on and never looking back enroute to his fifth win of 2025, and his first at Mugello since 2014. With Alex Marquez second again and Pecco Bagnaia off the podium, is the title battle already over? There's also a discussion in regards to whether Alex Marquez is racing his brother differently to others, and the struggles that Bagnaia has faced in Ducati.
And finally, Franco Morbidelli was in the spotlight for causing a nasty crash with Maverick Vinales that led to the Italian taking a Long Lap Penalty. But is the current system in place not harsh enough for ending another riders race?
Dre Harrison introduces another special interview for Tank Slappers, as Alberto Gomez was able to sit down with 1999 500cc World Champion, and MotoGP Hall of Famer, Alex Criville.
Alex talks In-depth on the differences between his era of 2-stroke racing, compared to the 4-strokes and modern-day prototypes, what he admires about Marc Marquez and how his rivalry with Francesco Bagnaia is comparable to Alex’s own with Mick Doohan.
There’s also a chat about what the sport needs to do to improve, and who Alex himself admired as a young racer growing up. If you enjoyed the interview, please subscribe, and check back next week for our review of the Italian Grand Prix. Until then, thanks for listening.
It was a truly perfect weekend in Aragon for Championship leader, Marc Marquez. Dre Harrison sits down with Richard Asher and Uri Puigdemont to review a stunning weekend from the Spaniard, with a Grand Chelem victory, and the first rider to lead in every single session across the weekend since... Marc himself did it in Germany back in 2015.
It was a close fight from behind as Alex Marquez limited the Championship damage with another pair of second place finishes, with Francesco Bagnaia making a big change in his brake discs that earned him a podium finish, and according to the man himself, some regained confidence after just four points in his previous five races. Is it the first sign of a turnaround by the former Champion.
There's also some focus on today's news that two-time World Superbike Champion Toprak Razgatlıoğlu will be heading to MotoGP in 2026 with Prima Pramac Racing. The trio discuss why this is a fun but "risky" move by the Turkish rider and what challenges may lie ahead.
And finally a wrap-up of the rest of the weekend's action, including Pedro Acosta's dispondent feelings despite a fourth place finish, what could have been for Marco Bezzecchi's Aprilia after a horrible Qualifying session, and the unpredictable future of KTM with rumours Herve Poncheral at Tech3 might be prepared to sell his team.
Dre Harrison introduces a special episode of Tank Slappers, featuring a sit down interview with former rider, LCR Team Principal and new President of the IRTA, Lucio Cecchinello.
In a wide-ranging interview, Lucio talks about what he misses most about being a rider, his new role as IRTA President, and what it was like juggling being both a rider and a team boss at the same time. There's also a chat about his partnership with Honda, and having the last two wins the manufacturer has earned in MotoGP.
There's also a deep dive into what he thinks of Liberty Media, whose takeover of MotoGP is imminent, what the sport can learn from Formula 1 in terms of fandom, entertaining and sporting merit, and how he thinks the 2027 regulations could shake up the sport, and what the other manufacturers can learn from Ducati's dominance.
Dre Harrison is joined again by Richard Asher and Uri Puigdemont to review what was an incredibly dramatic Grand Prix of Great Britain at Silverstone.
It was a shocking win for Marco Bezzecchi, Aprilia winning their first race of 2025, and it couldn't have come at a better time with the unstable future of World Champion Jorge Martin still looming over the horizon. But will that win and Aprilia CEO Massimo Rivera's plea for Martin to stay hold up?
There's also a discussion on the heartbreaking rear ride-height device failure that almost certainly cost Yamaha's Fabio Quartararo his first victory in nearly three years. The trio react to the emotional outpouring from the French rider and the solace Yamaha can take from the performance.
Also on the podcast, Ducati's surprise struggles in Britain, Pedro Acosta's possible ultimatum to the bosses at KTM, Johann Zarco scoring another podium for Honda, and what the British GP can do to attract more fans after another disappointing attendance of under 100,000 for the weekend.
Dre Harrison, Richard Asher and Oriol Puigdemont host an emergency edition of Tank Slappers off the back of one of the biggest bombshell MotoGP stories of 2025 so far.
The majority of the show is taken up with the breaking news that Jorge Martin met with Aprilia discreetly during the French GP weekend at Le Mans and told the team that he intends to leave at the end of the season via a performance clause that was in his contract that gave him an option to leave after six races if Martin wasn't placed high enough in the Championship.
Oriol breaks down how this story came about, the logic behind Martin activating the clause in his contract, where Martin may intend to move to as a result if he fully commits to leaving, and what this means for Aprilia going forward if their news talismanic rider wants to leave despite just one GP weekend with the team so far.
There's also a short review of the French GP itself, as Johann Zarco become the first premier class home winner of the race since 1954, as well as why it was a huge weekend for Marc Marquez in the Championship fight, and Pecco Bagnaia's latest explanations for his struggles after leaving the weekend without a single point.
Alex Marquez said to the media at the start of the season that he might win a MotoGP race, 'If his brother let him." And in his 93rd attempt, at his home Grand Prix, the younger Marquez brother finally has his first GP victory.
Dre Harrison is joined by Autosport MotoGP reporter Richard Asher, and Motorsport.com MotoGP writer Uri Puigdemont to review an incredibly dramatic Spanish GP weekend with 100,000 in attendance in Jerez.
If you didn't know any better, you may have thought Alex Marquez took a page out of his older brother's book to win across the weekend. Two crashes on Friday, then a lap record in practise, and then taking advantage of Marc crashing early on, making one pass for the lead, and then taking off. But is the Spaniard a genuine title contender now he's leading the standings again by just a single point.
What about the factory Ducati camp? Pecco Bagnaia was very vocal about struggling to extract the full speed out of his GP25, esepcially with the Sprint tank in on Saturday's. And as for Marc Marquez, is he struggling to figure out where the limit is on his bike after another Sunday crash?
Fabio Quartararo had an incredible weekend, with his first pole position for Yamaha in nearly three years, and second place in the GP, their first podium in a year and a half. Is there hope for the factory, and how is their V4 coming along?
And with back-to-back strong races from Maverick Vinales, is Pedro Acosta under more pressure to leave KTM? All that and more on a busy episode of Tank Slappers!
Dre Harrison is back to host another episode of Tank Slappers after a newsworthy Grand Prix of Qatar, joined by Autosport and Motorsport.com writers Uri Puigdemont and Richard Asher.
Once again it was Marc Marquez who dominated from the front to take his third double victory of the season in the Sprint and the Grand Prix. The trio talk about Marquez’s brilliance despite the early clash with his brother Alex, and the worry for teammate Francesco Bagnaia, who was expected to win on a track he’s won at multiple times before.
There’s also the latest news on the condition of World Champion Jorge Martin, who suffered a horrendous crash after being struck by Fabio DiGiannantonio, and is set to miss three months of racing after having his lung collapse and breaking 11 of his ribs.
Maverick Vinales shocked everyone in the sport by giving Marquez a run for his money by finishing second on the road, only to drop to 14th after the race finished due to a breach of the tyre pressure regulations. Dre and Richard discuss whether the rule needs changing after Vinales spent multiple laps leading to bring his tyre pressures down.
There’s also the polarising performances coming from the Japanese manufactures, as Honda’s Johann Zarco continues to impress with a fourth-placed finish, while Fabio Quartararo falls down the order after claiming his first front-row start in nearly three years.
In an exclusive interview, Uri Puigdemont sits down with eight-time World Champion and newest Ducati MotoGP rider, Marc Marquez.
In it, Marc talks about his career-defining switch from Honda to Ducati in 2023, the relationship between himself and brother Alex as they both compete for the sport’s greatest prize, how his family are dealing with the fights on-track, and how he’s getting along with new teammate Francesco Bagnaia.
There’s also a deep dive into Marquez’s mentality, from the recent chaos of that aborted start in Austin, the crash that ended his perfect start to 2025, and what Marc would tell his 18-year-old self, nearly 15 years after his first World Championship in the 125cc class.
Given MotoGP came out of Austin, Texas this weekend, it’s safe to say we got The Good, The Bad and The Ugly from Marc Marquez, who’s controversial last-minute bike switch caused chaos just minutes before the start of the Grand Prix of the Americas.
Dre Harrison and Uri Puigdemont break down all the angles from the incident, including the dialogue that led up to Marquez’s last-minute switch. This includes why the conditions made that decision so difficult in the first place, why Race Director Mike Webb threw the Red Flag to abandon the start, and why Marquez avoided the ride-through penalty he should have gotten as per the regulations.
The race itself also had a dramatic flashpoint with Marc Marquez crashing from the lead of the race, handing a comfortable victory to Francesco Bagnaia, his first of the year. With it, Alex Marquez now leads the Championship, and Bagnaia sits just 11 points behind.
The show also features a sit-down interview with Suzuki legend and 1993 MotoGP World Champion Kevin Schwantz, who discusses the dynamics between Ducati teammates Bagnaia and Marquez, where brother Alex fits into the title fight. There’s also Kevin’s opinion on the state of developing talent in the United States via MotoAmerica, and what MotoGP can learn from F1’s Drive to Survive as the sport tries to extend its reach in the US.
Welcome back to Tank Slappers. On this week's episode, host Dre Harrison is joined by Motorsport.com writers Oriol Puigdemont and Federico Faturos to report on all the action and news coming out of the 2025 Grand Prix of Argentina.
At the front, it was almost a case of Deja Vu as Marc Marquez defeated his brother Alex in a one-on-one fight. But the trio ponders on whether Marc was at 100% of his speed in an attempt to win, or whether there could be even more potential in the tank for the Spaniard as he took his 90th Grand Win, tying him with the great Angel Nieto for third all-time in GP history.
There's a chat about Francesco Bagnaia's side of the garage. The Double World Champion could only finish fourth in the race, with the rider himself admitting they're "missing something" from the feeling of the latest Ducati GP25. With the Italian 31 points behind Marquez in the standings, how concerned should be?
There's also a deep dive on Ai Ogura's technical disqualification as Aprilia could only manage one bike finishing in 15th place across their weekend, and whether reigning Champion Jorge Martin may get a test before returning from his injuries, with his recovery time extended through the United States GP in a week and a half's time.
Finally, there's talk about Pirelli becoming the sport's official tyre supplier from 2027 and why it may be adding to the "Monopoly" arguments in the midst of Liberty Media's attempted purchase, and whether Argentina has a future on the calendar with the sport confirming a race in neighbouring Brazil in 2026.
Tank Slappers is back for the 2025 Season! Taking over the reins is Dre Harrison, alongside Autosport’s Chief Motorsport Writer Ben Hunt, and Motorsport.com MotoGP reporter Oriol Puigdemont.
The trio sit down to review the opening round of the 2025 MotoGP season in Buriram, Thailand at the Chang International Circuit. It was a dream debut for Marc Marquez in the Ducati red, dominating the proceedings to finishing in a 1-2 in both the Sprint and Grand Prix with his brother Alex. How impressive was Marc’s performance? How concerned should Francesco Bagnaia be after only managing a pair of third places?
There’s also the fact that Marquez had to concede an early second-and-a-half advantage to comply with MotoGP’s tyre regulation rule. A necessary evil, or bad for the show?
There’s also a discussion on Ai Ogura and the best debut performance in the sport since 2013 after finishing 5th in his first race with Trackhouse, the latest on Jorge Martin’s broken hands, and asking if Honda and Yamaha are finally closing the gap to Ducati and Aprilia.
The 2025 MotoGP rider market exploded on Monday after Autosport revealed that Ducati had changed its mind and decided to promote Marc Marquez over Jorge Martin to its factory team.
Ahead of last week's Italian Grand Prix, it looked as if championship leader Martin was set to get the nod for the factory Ducati team.
Then it all unravelled as Ducati's hopes of placing Marquez on a factory bike at Pramac faded when the eight-time world champion said the team was "not an option".
Ducati faced a crossroads and the possibility of having to lose Marquez or Martin to a rival factory in 2025. On Sunday, it decided it would have to lose Martin to keep Marquez.
Martin duly went to Aprilia and a deal was put together on Sunday night and signed on the Monday.
In the latest Tank Slappers podcast, Autosport's Lewis Duncan and Motorsport.com's Oriol Puigdemont discuss the Martin/Marquez situation, how it came to pass and what it means next for MotoGP.
They also look at the other dominoes that will no fall into place in the wake of this.
The 2024 MotoGP Catalan Grand Prix offered up a raft of talking points as Francesco Bagnaia bounced back from a sprint crash with victory on Sunday.
The reigning world champion crashed out of the lead on the final lap of the Catalan GP sprint to end a Saturday win drought dating back to the Austrian GP last year.
It softened the blow of a difficult sprint for championship leader Jorge Martin, who was able to extend his points lead over Bagnaia. The factory Ducati rider bounced back brilliantly in the grand prix, however, to beat Martin for his third GP win of the season.
Martin extends his championship lead to 39 points, while Marc Marquez rose from 14th on the grid to seal podiums in both races at Barcelona.
Prior to the weekend, Aleix Espargaro announced he will retire from MotoGP at the end of the 2024 season. But he proved he is going out on a high with pole and victory in the sprint.
In the latest Tank Slappers podcast, Autosport's Lewis Duncan and Motorsport.com's Oriol Puigdemont discuss Espargaro's career and the on-track action at Barcelona.
They also look at the looming decision Ducati must make about its factory line-up for 2025 and why it's not as easy as it may seem.
A thrilling French Grand Prix at the fifth round of the 2024 MotoGP season looks to have drawn the battle lines for a three-way title fight.
Pramac Ducati rider Jorge Martin put in a perfect weekend to claim pole, sprint and grand prix wins, the latter coming after absorbing immense late pressure from Marc Marquez and Francesco Bagnaia.
Martin is now 38 points clear in the standings and put in the best weekend of his career at a point in which Ducati is nearing a final decision on its second factory team rider for 2025.
He is facing stiff competition from Marc Marquez, though, who came from 13th on the grid to finish second in both the sprint and the grand prix to move to within 40 points of the championship lead.
Having scored his first grand prix podium of the year at Jerez, Marquez is now proving consistent on the year-old Ducati and has set his sights firmly on a factory bike for next year.
On the latest Tank Slappers podcast, Autosport's Lewis Duncan and Motorsport.com's Oriol Puigdemont discuss Martin and Marquez's races and what they mean for Ducati's 2025 decision.
They also look at the ongoing troubles for Honda after another dismal weekend, while ponder what the 2027 regulations will do for MotoGP.
MotoGP returned home this past weekend with the 2024 Spanish Grand Prix from Jerez, and the fans were treated to an all-time classic between two of the very best riders in the world.
Marc Marquez and Francesco Bagnaia had an intense battle for the win, taking advantage of a Jorge Martin crash from the lead in the middle period of the race, and Bagnaia ultimately triumphed with his third straight Jerez victory by just four tenths of a second.
On this week's edition of Tank Slappers, Autosport's Lewis Duncan and Motorsport.com's Oriol Puigdemont discuss the intoxicating fight, as well as Martin's role in the action, and where all three of the riders title campaigns could he heading with Le Mans next up in a fortnights time.
Also discussed on the show this week, more struggles for Honda as Luca Marini was the last rider over the line, Johann Zarco getting kicked out of Race Direction after a crash with Aprilia's Aleix Espargaro, and whether Jerez can be a "blue ribbon" race for the sport, like Monaco could be for Formula 1, now both sports are under the Liberty Media umbrella.
Last weekend's Americas Grand Prix produced numerous talking points as the 2024 MotoGP season continues to thrill, with Maverick Vinales stealing the headlines for Aprilia.
Thrown a career lifeline by Aprilia after his acrimonious split with Yamaha midway through 2021, Vinales had so far failed to deliver the kind of results expected of him.
But in America, having taken a breakthrough sprint win in Portugal, Vinales put together a perfect weekend where he took pole, sprint victory and registered his first grand prix win since Qatar 2021.
It made him history too, as he became (officially) the first rider in the modern MotoGP era to win races on three different brands of motorcycle.
On this week's Tank Slappers podcast, Autosport's Lewis Duncan and Motorsport.com's Oriol Puigdemont discuss Vinales' resurgence and how Aprilia has been able to coax out the best version of the Spaniard.
They also discuss Ducati's ongoing chatter woes, why Marc Marquez's Americas GP weekend wasn't as bad as his DNF suggested, and the continuing rise of rookie superstar Pedro Acosta.
With Honda enduring a miserable weekend, our hosts give their honest opinion of the Japanese manufacturer and why it is so far from being competitive again.
On the latest episode of Tank Slappers, Lewis Duncan and Oriol Puigdemont react to the big news of the week, as Fabio Quartararo announces a new two-year extension at Yamaha's team, and the pair discuss the ripple effects of the move, including why Aprilia was turned down and who they might try for instead in what could be a chaotic silly season.
Also, the big question as MotoGP heads to Austin this upcoming weekend for the Grand Prix of the Americas at COTA... is this the big win for Marc Marquez that can kickstart a title campaign?
The motorsport world has been digesting one of the biggest announcements of the year on Monday after Formula 1 owner Liberty Media announced its acquisition of MotoGP.
The American media giant announced on Monday 1 April that it had purchased majority shares in Dorna Sports from Bridgepoint Capital for €4.2 billion.
The news means Liberty now owns the world's two biggest motorsport world championships in F1 and MotoGP.
The deal will herald a new era for MotoGP as Liberty gets to work growing the series in key markets across the globe, with America set to be at the forefront of this.
There are still many unknowns about the deal and the direction Liberty will take Dorna and MotoGP in the coming years, though the former is confident it will be able to clear the regulatory boards.
In the latest Tank Slappers Podcast, Autosport's Lewis Duncan and Motorsport.com's Oriol Puigdemont discuss everything we know about the deal and what it could mean for MotoGP.
The 2024 MotoGP Portuguese Grand Prix was won by Jorge Martin but the collision between Marc Marquez and Francesco Bagnaia stole all the headlines.
Pramac Ducati rider Martin put in a mature display to clinch his first grand prix win of the season, seeing off Aprilia's Maverick Vinales prior to the Spaniard's gearbox problems, and Ducati's Enea Bastianini to move into the lead of the championship.
But it was the collision between Gresini Ducati rider Marquez and the reigning double world champion Bagnaia that served up the biggest talking point of the second round of the 2024 season.
The crash was dismissed by the stewards as a racing incident, but both riders differed on their opinion about the clash. Harshest of all was Marquez, who felt Bagnaia was at fault for the collision.
This has served up Ducati's first big internal drama to manage.
On the latest Tank Slappers podcast, Autosport's Lewis Duncan and Motorsport.com's Oriol Puigdemont discuss the incident and what it means for both the riders and Ducati going forward.
They also assess Martin's impressive grand prix performance and evaluate where he is now as a rider after the 2023 season.
Pedro Acosta continued to make waves in his MotoGP debut year as he scored a maiden podium in the grand prix in third, while Vinales' return to form is also a point of discussion on this week's show.
The 2024 MotoGP season continues this weekend with the second round of the campaign at the Portuguese Grand Prix.
After Ducati dominated the opening round of the season in Qatar with Jorge Martin winning the sprint and reigning double world champion Francesco Bagnaia taking the spoils in the grand prix, Portugal presents a new challenge for the Italian marque.
The unique conditions of the Qatar race coupled with the fact a test took place there just two weeks before the season started means Portugal will act as something of a reset, as well as perhaps offering a better glimpse as to what the pecking order truly looks like.
That much is true for two stars of the Qatar GP in KTM rookie sensation Pedro Acosta and eight-time grand prix world champion Marc Marquez on the Gresini Ducati, with the latter admitting after the last round that Portugal would see him "starting from zero".
In the latest Tank Slappers podcast, Autosport's Lewis Duncan and Motorsport.com's Oriol Puigdemont preview this weekend's Portuguese GP and the storylines to watch out for.
They also discuss the latest rider market announcement, following Ducati's signing of Moto2 star Fermin Aldeguer to a two-year deal from 2025: Where will the young Spaniard actually race and how does it affect other key Ducati players?
ewis Duncan and Oriol Puigdemont are back to review the first round of the 2024 MotoGP Championship, where Francesco Bagnaia kicked off his MotoGP title defence with victory in a thrilling Qatar Grand Prix on Sunday, ahead of Brad Binder and Jorge Martín with Marc Marquez finishing a strong fourth on his Ducati debut.
The Tank Slappers is back for a brand new MotoGP season. The 2024 season promises to be one for the history books. Eyes will be Marc Marquez as he starts a new chapter in his career switching from Honda to Gresini-run Ducati Desmosedici GP23. Lewis Duncan is joined once again by Oriol Puigdemont as they preview the upcoming season.
Francesco Bagnaia is the 2022 MotoGP world champion after finishing the Valencia Grand Prix in ninth with Fabio Quartararo fourth, as Alex Rins took an emotional race win.
Lewis Duncan and Oriol Puigdemont are here for the final time this season to analyse all the action.
Lewis Duncan and Oriol Puigdemont are together to review the San Marino GP, look at the title challengers, and say goodbye to Andrea Dovizioso after a brilliant MotoGP career.
Surprise news that MotoGP from 2023 will have twenty one sprint race weekends for every grand prix weekend. Is it good for the championship? Are you excited for what it does for the sport? Whilst it's necessary for MotoGP to evolve, are sprint races the answer? And is it possible that so many sprint races devalue the main event grand prix? The promoters seems to have caught many of those in the paddock by surprise, which led to strong opinions being voiced last week. We discuss all those issues and much more, including the Austrian GP, and look ahead to Mizano.
Lewis and Uri discuss the imminent retirement of MotoGP star Andrea Dovizioso, and how he didn't expect to struggle on the Yamaha. He won't be sticking around for the end of the season, but from Aragon GP onwards, he'll be replaced by Cal Crutchlow. The pair also look back at yesterday's British GP and the state of the championship, with Quartarao, Espargaro and Bagnaia all in the mix.
Alex Rins joins Lewis Duncan and Oriol Puigdemont for his first interview with the media following news he's joining Honda for 2023.
Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia stormed to victory in a dramatic MotoGP Dutch Grand Prix after championship leader Fabio Quartararo crashed twice, while Valentino Rossi’s team got its first podium.
Lewis Duncan and Oriol Puigemont are back on the Tank Slappers podcast to analyse the race.
Lewis Duncan and Oriol Puigdemont look back at the key moments in the German Grand Prix, as Fabio Quartararo dominated to take charge in the championship after his main title rivals faltered at the Sachsenring.
Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo dominated the MotoGP Catalan Grand Prix as nearest title rival Aleix Espargaro threw away a podium by miscounting the number of laps remaining.
Lewis and Oriol are here to review the Italian GP. Plus the big news from Marquez is his latest surgery and potential consequences for his career.
Lewis Duncan and Oriol Puigdemont look back at the French GP to analyse all the track action. This is also their first opportunity to discuss the news we broke last week about Suzuki leaving the sport at the end of 2022.
Ducati's Francesco Bagnaia fended off Fabio Quartararo in a tense Spanish Grand Prix to claim his first MotoGP win of the 2022 season, as Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro completed the podium.
Lewis Duncan and Oriol Puigdemont are here to analyse the events in Spain, and ask if the lack of predictability this season could actually be harming MotoGP for some fans.
Lewis Duncan and Oriol Puigdemont were trackside in Portugal to witness all the action. Fabio Quartararo kickstarted his MotoGP world championship defence in a thrilling Portuguese Grand Prix, crossing the line over five seconds ahead to take his first win of the 2022 season.
Lewis Duncan and Oriol Puigdemont review all the weekend action from COTA. Enea Bastianini took his second win of the 2022 MotoGP season in a thrilling Americas Grand Prix, as Marc Marquez recovered to sixth after dropping to last on lap one.
Aleix Espargaro took an emotional maiden win for himself in MotoGP and a first for Aprilia in the modern era in the Argentine Grand Prix.
The Spaniard has been spearheading Aprilia's project since 2017 and has endured years of hardship developing the RS-GP, to the point where he contemplated quitting prior to the pandemic.
But significant progress with the RS-GP in recent years culminated in Espargaro storming to pole and the win in a tense race at Termas de Rio Hondo.
In the latest Tank Slappers Podcast, Autosport's Lewis Duncan and Motorsport.com's Oriol Puigdemont discuss Aprilia's triumph and what it means for the Italian marque, Espargaro and MotoGP.
The pair also look ahead to this weekend's fourth round of the 2022 season in America, as Honda's Marc Marquez makes his return after his latest battle with vision problems which ruled him out of the Argentine GP.
Lewis Duncan and Uri Puigdemontreview all the action from yesterday’s action-packed season opener in Qatar.
Lewis Duncan and Megan White look forward to this weekend in Qatar and preview which riders and teams are the ones to watch in the opening round.
Ducati has become the first manufacturer to nail down a big name for 2023, with Francesco Bagnaia signing on for two more years. In the latest Tank Slappers podcast, Autosport's Lewis Duncan and Motorsport.com's Oriol Puigdemont discuss what this means for the rider market going forward.
After just five days spread across the last week, MotoGP pre-season testing for 2022 is over. In the latest Tank Slappers Podcast, our team discusses who comes into the new MotoGP season in the best shape
Lewis Duncan is joined by Oriol Puigdemont to talk about some of the MotoGP stories during this period before testing. They ask if Marc Marquez is fully fit, following Honda's announcement that he will complete a full test program. And are Honda also up to scratch for 2022? Marquez won three races in 2021 whilst being far from his best, so will his fitness once again be the limiting factor?
Lewis and Uri also talk about Rossi doing a full campaign of GT racing in 2022, showing a commitment which surprised some motorsport observers.
In the latest edition of the Tank Slappers Podcast, double MotoGP race winner Danilo Petrucci joins Autosport's Lewis Duncan to discuss his wild Dakar debut. Full of drama, fairy-tale success, and a run in with a camel, this is one not to be missed
Lewis Duncan and Oriol Puigdemont talk to championship runner up Pecco Bagnaia about the 2021 season, and how he’ll attack the 2022 season.
Lewis Duncan and Oriol Puigdemont analyse the key moments in the 2021 season, and which riders you should be looking at for 2022 glory.
Lewis Duncan and Oriol Puigdemont recount an emotional weekend saying goodbye to Rossi after 26 seasons of grand prix racing. Uri was in Valencia to witness the celebration of his stellar career.
Lewis Duncan and Oriol Puigdemont analyse the big talking points from the Algarve Grand Prix, and why consistency has been more important than ever this season.
Your regular host, Lewis Duncan, is having a lie down in a dark room after a crazy weekend of writing about MotoGP’s new champion. So Megan White is on the podcast today with Oriol Puigdemont to talk about Fabio Quartararo clinching teh MotoGP title. We also have the matter of the Misano GP to talk about.
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. Uri is fresh off the phone to Fabio so we’ll hear about what they discussed and how he's reflecting on his win.
Lewis Duncan and Oriol Puigdemont are back to review the MotoGP race at COTA. Marc Marquez was back on the top step of the podium. Lewis and Uri were impressed by a mighty display from Marquez but recognise this might be the new Marc we have to get used to.
Lewis Duncan and Oriol Puigdemont talk to new PETRONAS Yamaha Sepang Racing Team rider Andrea Dovizioso, who joins the squad for the final five rounds of the 2021 MotoGP season. Dovi is back in MotoGp with a new bike and new team. He says it was important to start working with the team as soon as possible, and learn the bike. On the podcast today he tells us how he has found the physicial side of riding the Yahama, and his first impressions of what it's like to be part of the team.
Lewis and Uri then look ahead to the Americas GP and whether the Ducati is the weapon to have this weekend.
Lewis Duncan and Oriol Puigdemont look back at the MotoGP 2021 San Marino Grand Prix. Last time out on the Tank Slappers podcast we predicted the continued pace of Pecco Bagnaia and he didn't disappoint.
Uri describes the weekend like an exhibition by the whole of the Ducati family for a variety of reasons. The guys look at the young stars who are coming to the fore and explain why Ducati management should be feeling satisfied with the choice of riders signed up to their program. Uri also hails the "insane" race pace of Enea Bastianini who achieved spectacular lap times whilst also managing his tyres to achieve a podium position.
Joan Mir is now an outsider for the title and fighting for podiums at best, but what can Suzuki do to unlock potential from the bike?
Francesco Bagnaia finally stood on the top step of the podium in MotoGP after a thrilling battle with Marc Marquez in the closing laps of the Aragon GP. What this the Marquez of old? Or at least, the best of version of Marquez we could hope for? Also on the podcast we ask what this means for Ducati, why Mir was left unsatisfied by third, and whether tyre issues will be more of a factor over the remainder of the season.
Lewis Duncan and Uri Puigdemont are back to analyse all the action from the British GP and how they feel one particular rider had a perfect race. Meanwhile the championship is disappearing out of reach for some others, who will surely be reflecting on how their seasons have faltered. There's also much more to talk about after a busy weekend of team and rider news, and we think there's more to come too!
Brad Binder scored his second-career MotoGP victory with a stunning gamble (or perhaps more kindly, a well calculated risk) to stay on dry tyres as many of the field behind pitted as the rain fell. Riders who did pit were able to charge back through the field as those on dry tyres struggled to keep their bikes on track. It was a chaotic and breathless end to the race, which Lewis Duncan and Oriol Puigdemont analyse on today's Tank Slappers.
Maverick Viñales was suspended by Yamaha and withdrawn from this weekend's Austrian Grand Prix for trying to deliberately damage his bike's engine in the Styrian GP, the team suggests.
On today's podcast Lewis Duncan and Oriol Puigdemont react to the claims, which we first heard about in an official statement issued by Yamaha on Thursday. We look at athletes in top level sport and what happens when fall out with teams and management. And finally we ask what his future holds and whether his move to Aprilia is still likely to happen.
It was a weekend which started with the bombshell Rossi announcement, continued with an uncertain weather forecast and eventually had a red flag stoppage to put everyone on the edge of their seat. Jorje Martin led home fellow Spaniard Joan Mir to win the Styrian GP. Lewis Duncan and Oriol Puigdemont analyse Martin's first MotoGP victory and how he has overcome injury with an intensive training schedule.
MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi has confirmed the 2021 season will be his last after announcing his retirement from motorcycle racing on Thursday in Austria.
Lewis Duncan and Oriol Puigdemont discuss their initial reactions to the news, how his legacy will be viewed after 26 seasons, and what next for the man who never overstayed his welcome in MotoGP.
On today's Tank Slappers, Lewis Duncan and Oriol Puigdemont discuss some of the biggest stories of the last week, including the possibility of reigning six-time World Superbike champion Jonathan Rea joining SRT for 2022.
Valentino Rossi’s VR46 team is due to graduate to MotoGP in 2022 but there is continued confusion around a reported sponsorship deal with Aramco. It could see Rossi riding for the team next year in order to secure the lucrative funding required to support a race team, rather than the line up of Luca Marini alongside Marco Bezzecchi.
During the Dutch Grand Prix, Aramco CEO Amin Hassan Nasser was one of Pramac's guests at the Assen race. Throughout the weekend, the senior executive held several meetings in which he made it clear that the company he heads has neither signed with VR46 nor intends to do so.
From Rossi's perspective he has said: "I talk to the prince often and everything is fine". The uncertainty around the project has spiced up the 'silly season'. Lewis Duncan and Oriol Puigdemont take you through the various statements made to Autosport over recent weeks and piece together the possible outcomes
It was widely reported over the weekend that Viñales was considering a split, but this morning we heard confirmation that he is leaving Yamaha at the end of the season. He'll be leaving the best package on the grid, a lucrative contract and yet his options seem limited. What does Viñales want to find in another team? On the podcast today Lewis Duncan and Oriol Puigdemont analyse his decision and where could ride next.
Marc Marquez returned to the top step of the podium yesterday at the German MotoGP Grand Prix. After missing 2020, and showing his form since his return to competitive action, he finally completed his comeback 581 days after his last victory at Valencia in 2019.
Lewis Duncan and Oriol Puigdemont analyse how Marc took the lead and kept the field at bay to clinch victory.
Today's podcast is partly recorded in a noisy airport as Oriol and his family are finally able to travel home to Spain after 15+ months of being in Australia due to the pandemic outbreak whilst he was there.
We wish him a safe journey home and can't wait to get back to recording in the same location again.
On the show today, Lewis and Uri look at the key moments in the Catalan MotoGP. Following the race there was controversy as Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo lost third place due to a time penalty, and was also penalised for discarding his chest protector when his leather suit became unfastened.
Lewis Duncan and Oriol Puigdemont bring us their thoughts, and insight from the MotoGP fraternity, following the tragic death of Moto3 rider Jason Dupasquier last weekend. There was debate in the paddock about the decision to hold Sunday's MotoGP Italian Grand Prix, but the event went ahead as scheduled, and today we discuss the different opinions about that choice.
In a special edition of the Tank Slappers Podcast, 1993 500cc world champion Kevin Schwantz guests to discuss the current MotoGP season. In a wide-ranging interview with Autosport's Lewis Duncan and Motorsport.com's Oriol Puigdemont, the former Suzuki rider discusses the situation with MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi at the moment and gives his assessment of the Doctor's season. Having scored just four points from the first four races, this is Rossi's worst start to a grand prix season ever in his career - and has come at a point where he is set to make a crucial decision on his racing future. In the MotoGP paddock, a 16-year-old Moto3 rookie by the name of Pedroa Acosta is taking the world by storm having won three of his first four races and taken a commanding 51-point lead in the standings. Acosta happens to idolise Schwantz. The American legend gives his views on Acosta's rapid rise in his rookie season and offers advice to the 16-year-old as the pressure continues to build on his shoulders. Elsewhere, Schwantz talks about Marc Marquez's return from a nine-month injury lay-off and Honda's current situation in general with its bike, while also discussing the somewhat low-key start to Joan Mir's title defence with Schwantz's old team Suzuki.
Jack Miller took his first MotoGP win in five years at the Spanish Grand Prix to put his 2021 season back on course following a tricky start.
Miller didn't make the start to life at the factory Ducati squad as was expected of him, the Australian admitting pre-Jerez that he was "in the shit" having come in for criticism for his performances to that point.
But the Australian proved his doubters wrong at Jerez on Sunday with his first dry-weather MotoGP win, inheriting the lead at mid-distance when Yamaha's Fabio Quartararo was struck by arm-pump problems.
In the latest Tank Slappers podcast, Autosport's Lewis Duncan and Motorsport.com's Oriol Puigdemont discuss Miller's Jerez win and what he needs to do next.
They also look at Yamaha's contrasting fortunes at Jerez and discuss MotoGP's new championship leader Francesco Bagnaia.
Lewis Duncan and Oriol Puigdemont analyse a thrilling MotoGP Portuguese Grand Prix, which also saw an emotional return to racing for Marc Marquez.
Honda finally announced the return of Mark Marquez over the weekend. Which version of Marquez will we see at Portimao? After being off a MotoGP bike for so long, it was always going to be a challenge to come back, let alone at a particularly difficult circuit. Lewis Duncan and Oriol Puigdemont analyse the challenges facing Marquez, and tackle some of the questions raised about how he will fare this weekend.
It was a race which ended in a commanding victory but was anything but predictable. Relive the drama in Doha with Lewis Duncan and Oriol Puigdemont.
Maverick Viñales drew first blood in the 2021 MotoGP World Championship with a commanding victory on his Yamaha in the Qatar Grand Prix.
The Spaniard had shown strong race pace throughout testing and practice for the Qatar GP, but all too often in recent years has that form disappeared and Vinales left to offer a meek showing on Sundays.
But, despite being monstered by four Ducatis at the start, the new-and-improved Vinales took control of the improved Yamaha to carve his way through from sixth at the end of lap one to score his ninth MotoGP victory by over a second.
World champion Joan Mir transformed his fortunes in the race from 10th on the grid only to be denied a podium on the run to the line by Johann Zarco and Francesco Bagnaia.
Pol Espargaro’s Honda debut was an “amazing” start - though he was left “angry” by the end result - while Fabio Quartararo was at a loss to explain his deficit to his Yamaha team-mate Vinales.
Marc Marquez will not race in this weekend's opening round of the 2021 MotoGP season in Qatar, nor in the follow-up Doha Grand Prix as he continues recovering from injury. The Honda rider has only recently been able to start training on motorcycles again following his third operation on the right arm he broke in last July's Spanish GP.
In the latest Tank Slappers Podcast, Autosport's Lewis Duncan and Motorsport.com's Oriol Puigdemont discuss Marquez's decision and what effect it will also have on the grid this weekend in Qatar.
The 2021 MotoGP season is just around the corner and it’s a big one for Suzuki rider Joan Mir.
The Spaniard stunned the world in 2020 by winning his first MotoGP world title in just his second year in the class, ending a 20-year wait for Suzuki in the process.
Now he gears up for the new campaign beginning on 28 March in Qatar with the target firmly on his back as he braces for the defence of his title.
Pre-season testing was solid for Suzuki, though Mir admitted afterwards he felt only “70%” ready for the first race having not had enough time to properly evaluate the 2021 Suzuki chassis.
The results from the Qatar tests suggest MotoGP is set for an even tighter campaign in 2021.
So we sat down with Mir and his crew chief Frankie Carchedi to discuss their pre-season, their championship-winning bond and how they are feeling ahead of the new season for a special edition of the Tank Slappers Podcast.
The MotoGP pre season for 2021 has come to a close two weeks before the first race. We think there are two main conclusions: 3 of the Yamaha's are very fast, and Miller on the Ducati will be a big threat. But what are the other lessons we learned from the testing at Qatar? Which riders and teams still be struggling when the season gets underway? Join Lewis Duncan and Oriol Puigdemont to find out.
The 2021 MotoGP season is drawing closer, with the first of two pre-season tests in Qatar taking place last weekend.
New factory Yamaha signing Fabio Quartararo topped the test outright as he got work evaluating the M1’s new chassis, though wasn’t totally sold on it just yet.
Ducati debuted a new aero concept, with Jack Miller going second fastest overall, while Aprilia made encouraging steps forward with its all-new RS-GP after Aleix Espargaro ended the test third quickest.
KTM remained under the radar as none of its race riders tested its new engine, while Suzuki even cast its eye towards 2022 with the debut of a prototype engine for next season.
And at Honda, Pol Espargaro got to grips with his new machine - though found it “stressful” not knowing the limits of the bike just yet.
In the latest Tank Slappers podcast, Autosport’s Lewis Duncan and Motorsport.com’s Oriol Puigdemont discuss what we learned from the first pre-season test of 2021.
Firstly, on a sad note, we lost one of the biggest and brightest personalities in the paddock - Fausto Gresini. We pay our tribute and talk about how highly regarded he was.
Despite winning half of 2020’s MotoGP races, Yamaha factory riders struggled for consistency and came up well short of the title. After its 2021 launch event, Autosport’s Lewis Duncan and Motorsport.com’s Oriol Puigdemont discuss Yamaha’s prospects for the season ahead
In the first Tank Slappers Podcast of 2021, Autosport's Lewis Duncan and Motorsport.com's Oriol Puigdemont discuss what Davide Brivio's shock Suzuki exit will do to the team and how it plans to forge ahead. They also talk about what effect COVID-19 will have in the early months of MotoGP 2021 and look into Dovizioso's comments about his Ducati exit.
As 2020 winds down, Oriol Puigdemont and Lewis Duncan take a look back over MotoGP’s wildest season. It was a year in which a new champion was crowned and the reigning one absent; where news stars shone brightly and burned out just as quickly; where the old guard bid farewell, and where the racing was as thrilling as it has ever been.
Six-time MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez had a third operation on the arm he broke in July at the Spanish Grand Prix. Having missed the whole of the 2020 campaign, Marquez now faces a six-month recovery period from his latest operation - though Honda is yet to confirm this. In the latest Tank Slappers Podcast, Lewis Duncan and Oriol Puigdemont discuss what might be next for Marquez and Honda.
After a punishing schedule of 14 races in 18 weeks, the 2020 MotoGP season came to an end in Portugal with home hero Miguel Oliveira romping to a dominant victory from pole position. Franco Morbidelli finished runner-up in the standings on another miserable day for Yamaha’s 2020 M1 riders, while the world champion’s victory lap didn’t quite go to plan. A weary Lewis Duncan and Oriol Puigdemont go through the talking points of a finale of many farewells in Portugal.
2020 MotoGP world champion Joan Mir joins Lewis Duncan to talk about how he won the title in his second year at Suzuki.
MotoGP crowned a new world champion at the Valencia Grand Prix when Joan Mir took Suzuki to its first premier class world title in 20 years. The 23-year-old Spaniard’s sophomore MotoGP campaign has been ultra-consistent, netting him the crown with a round to spare in MotoGP’s maddest year. In the latest Tank Slappers, Lewis Duncan and Oriol Puigdemont discuss Mir’s rise to title glory, as well as the nightmare which befell Yamaha and Cal Crutchlow’s future.
Joan Mir is now within sight of the 2020 MotoGP championship after securing his maiden victory in the European Grand Prix. The most consistent rider of the season, his first win has come at a perfect moment, coinciding with Yamaha’s challenge seemingly crumbling after a miserable weekend. Autosport’s Lewis Duncan and Motorsport.com’s Oriol Puigdemont discuss the champion-elect’s race, as well as Yamaha’s disaster.
After failing a COVID-19 test, Valentino Rossi could well miss this weekend’s European Grand Prix at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit near Valencia. Yamaha has announced he will be replaced by GRT Yamaha World Superbike rider Garrett Gerloff should he be unable to race. This is the second time Yamaha has elected against running test rider Jorge Lorenzo in place of Rossi, raising questions about his future within the team. In the latest Tank Slappers, Autosport’s Lewis Duncan and Motorsport.com’s Oriol Puigdemont discuss just this and look ahead to the final triple-header of 2020.
Franco Morbidelli became just the second repeat winner of the 2020 MotoGP season and has come back into championship contention with three rounds to go. His fellow Yamaha riders Fabio Quartararo and Maverick Vinales once again struggled at Aragon, with Suzuki’s Joan Mir opening up his championship lead to 14. In the latest Tank Slappers podcast, Autosport’s Lewis Duncan and Motorsport.com’s Oriol Puigdemont discuss the latest MotoGP race and look at how the championship battle is shaping up.
In the latest Tank Slappers podcast, Autosport’s Lewis Duncan and Motorsport.com’s Oriol Puigdemont discuss all the action from a dramatic Aragon Grand Prix won by Suzuki’s Alex Rins.
A “disaster day” for Fabio Quartararo left him in 18th and lost him the lead in the championship to Joan Mir by six points, while Honda rookie Alex Marquez once again proved he was more than just ’the brother of Marc’ with a stunning ride to second.
In the latest Tank Slappers podcast, Autosport’s International Editor Lewis Duncan is joined as always by Motorsport.com’s Global MotoGP Editor to preview this weekend’s 10th round of the 2020 MotoGP season from Aragon.
Fabio Quartararo won the Catalan Grand Prix to return to the lead of the MotoGP standings, while another podium for Joan Mir puts him into second. With the title battle beginning to look like a battle between the MotoGP sophomores, can anyone else work their way back into contention? In the latest Tank Slappers Podcast, Autosport’s International Editor Lewis Duncan and Motorsport.com’s Global MotoGP Editor Oriol Puigdemont discuss the latest round of the 2020 MotoGP season.
Four points covering the top four in the championship proves that, compared to any other motorsport, MotoGP continues to deliver for the fans. Six different winners so far in 2020 shows how this championship will go down to the wire. But why is this? How much is the absence of Marquez a factor? And what about the change to rear tyres? Autosport International Editor Lewis Duncan and by Motorsport.com’s Global MotoGP Editor Oriol Puigdemont analyse the season so far.
Autosport International Editor Lewis Duncan and by Motorsport.com’s Global MotoGP Editor Oriol Puigdemont look back at the San Marino GP. another eventful race. Franco Mobidelli dominated the race after taking an early lead and pulling out a gap over second-place Rossi. Quartararo had a miserable weekend after crashing twice whilst pushing too hard. Maverick Vinales couldn’t capitalise on being polesitter eventually finishing sixth.
Autosport International Editor Lewis Duncan and by Motorsport.com’s Global MotoGP Editor Oriol Puigdemont look back at another eventful race. Maverick Vinales threw himself from his Yahama at 140mph when his brake exploded at turn 1 as he began lap 17. After race we learned that his brakes were fading from lap 4, which caused some: was continuing to race an unnecessary risk to other riders? Brembo brought a new material to the Styrian GP but Vinales opted against running it. Did Vinales do anything wrong? Or should he have made a different decision?
Andrea Dovizioso's shock announcement about his departure from Ducati at the end of the current MotoGP season was followed 24 hours later by a win at the Austrian Grand Prix. Autosport International Editor Lewis Duncan and by Motorsport.com’s Global MotoGP Editor Oriol Puigdemont analyse the implications for his career and where Dovi could be racing next year. Plus we look at the horror crash between Zarco & Morbidelli, and consider the current state of safety at MotoGP tracks.
Autosport International Editor Lewis Duncan and by Motorsport.com’s Global MotoGP Editor Oriol Puigdemont relive the key moments from the Czech GP including a shock maiden victory for Brad Binder. We analyze how he was able to stretch out a lead over the chasing pack of Morbidelli, Zarco Rins, Rossi and Oliveira.
Autosport International Editor Lewis Duncan and by Motorsport.com’s Global MotoGP Editor Oriol Puigdemont look ahead to the key talking points around the Czech GP. The contracted season has had an impact of many areas of the sport, but Marc Marquez's injury during a shortened calendar has hindered his title chances, with no time to come back and score enough points. With a return trip to the doctors and a possible two-race forced absence, his bid for a World Championship is surely gone. The short season also puts pressure on any other rider to avoid mistakes. Even the smallest error proves more costly compared to a typical year.
Autosport International Editor Lewis Duncan is joined by Motorsport.com’s Global MotoGP Editor Oriol Puigdemont to look back at the Andalusian GP. It was another brutal battle, with the Yahama riders denying they’re worried about engines issues, whilst a familiar face was back on the podium.
Autosport International Editor Lewis Duncan is joined by Motorsport.com’s Global MotoGP Editor Oriol Puigdemont to look back at the Spanish GP. The biggest talking point of the weekend should have been Marc Marquez's incredible recovery ride through the pack. But a massive crash on Lap 22 has ruled him out of forthcoming races. How serious are his injuries? When will he race again? And could this be a potential career-ending injury? The Honda rider is due to have surgery early this week and we'll know more soon.
MotoGP’s delayed 2020 season gets underway this weekend with the Spanish Grand Prix - the first of two races to be held at Jerez in a shortened 13-round calendar.
With testing teeing up an enthralling season before the coronavirus shutdown, the intrigue has only been hieghtened by numerous big-name rider moves during the break.
To preview the new season, Autosport International Editor Lewis Duncan is joined by Motorsport.com’s Global MotoGP Editor Oriol Puigdemont and 13-times 500cc race winner Randy Mamola for a special edition of the Tank Slappers podcast.
Following specualtion that Danilo Petrucci's Austrian visit was to sign for KTM, it has been revealed that he will join the Tech3 team for 2021. Whilst it is a factory-supported team, it doesn't look like the obvious move to put a race winner into the satellite team. We ask: has KTM made a mistake by putting him with Tech3?
Lewis Duncan and Oriol Puigdemont talk about Danilo Petrucci's move to KTM as the next part of the 2021 rider market jigsaw puzzle falling into place. As he spend time in Austria introducing himself to the team, our sources suggested that a KTM contract was already signed. It was the most logical move for KTM, a team which is fast running out of too many options.
MotoGP has unveiled a revised calendar of 13 races for the 2020 season, with doubler-header events featuring heavily and no guarantee of any overseas races happening this year. What will be the rules for anyone going into the paddock? What will it mean for the riders and teams? Can WE go along to report on the races? And how will this affect the teams which go racing on a very tight budget? All those questions answered with your hosts Lewis Duncan and Oriol Puigdemont.
Lewis Duncan is joined by Oriol Puigdemont to talk about Pol Espargaro leaving KTM at the end of 2020 to join Marc Marquez at the factory Honda team for the 2021 season. After three years with KTM Espargaro was linked with Ducati but, following last week’s news about Jack Miller moving across from Pramac, that avenue was closed off.
Lewis Duncan is joined by Oriol Puigdemont to talk about Jack Miller officially becoming a Ducati factory team rider for the 2021 season, in a significant move as another young rider gets the opportunity of a factory seat. Also, as the British and Australian MotoGP races have been called off for this season, we ask if MotoGP will be racing at Jerez in July.
Lewis Duncan is joined by Oriol Puigdemont, from a very wet and rainy Australia! On the show today they talk about how Rossi will want to be supported by the right engineers at Petronas SRT in 2021 if the long-rumoured move comes off. Plus, when racing starts in 2020, we talk about why races will only happen in Europe.
Suzuki has firmed up half of its line-up for the 2021 MotoGP season after it confirmed it had retained the services of Alex Rins. If they retain Joan Mir as well, this week's Tank Slappers podcast asks if that makes them the most exciting pairing on the grid for 2021. With two young talented riders pushing each other, it could give Suzuki more wins to follow up their recent successes.
Production has stopped on road bikes and development has stopped on their race bikes. Both sides of their business are affected by the COVID-19 crisis. So what does this mean for the two Ducati factories and the staff who work across the company? Plus we ask if this break could influence the decision to have 21 races on the calendar and what about the costs spiralling over the next few years?
Last week Aprilia MotoGP rider Andrea Iannone was handed an 18-month competition ban for an anti-doping infringement, whilst he has maintained his innocence, claiming that ingestion of the steroid came from contaminated food. Why is this case not straightforward and what does it mean for MotoGP? Lewis Duncan and Oriol Puigdemont are on the case.
Lewis Duncan (Autosport International Editor) is joined by Oriol Puigdemont (Motorsport.com Global MotoGP Editor) to discuss the current plans to go racing, and whether they think more races will be cancelled.
Autosport’s International Editor Lewis Duncan is joined by Motorsport.com’s Global MotoGP Editor Oriol Puigdemont to discuss the latest coronavirus situation surrounding MotoGP.
The first three-day pre-season test of the 2020 MotoGP season from the Sepang International Circuit concluded last weekend, with Petronas SRT’s Fabio Quartararo topping the timesheets.
For the first time, all six manufacturers - Honda, Ducati, Yamaha, Suzuki, KTM and Aprilia - ran their 2020 prototype bikes on track together, with 2019’s rookie sensation Quartararo leading the way on the factory-spec Yamaha he’ll race this year.
Yamaha unveiled its version of the ‘holeshot device’ Ducati has been using for over a year, while Aprilia’s revolution RS-GP made a strong on-track debut at Sepang and Suzuki have left a few worried.
It appears Honda’s RC213V is still a troubled beast, as its turning problems remain, while two crashes for world champion Marc Marquez compounded a tough weekend for him as he put his recently-operated on right shoulder through under stress for the first time.
KTM took a step forward with its RC16, while Ducati - like Honda - also appear to be on the backfoot after a low-key showing on its GP20 Desmosedici.
With many more questions than answers offered up after the three days of running at Sepang, Autosport’s Motorcycle Racing Correspondent Lewis Duncan and Motorsport.com’s Oriol Puigdemont try to decipher what we learned from the first MotoGP pre-season test on the latest edition of the Tank Slappers podcast.
With Quartararo and Vinales easily the two fastest Yamaha riders in 2019, and two of the only riders capable of running world champion Marc Marquez hard at points last year, has Yamaha formed a ‘dream team’? On the latest Tank Slappers podcast, Motorsport.com’s Global MotoGP Editor Oriol Puigdemont joins Autosport Motorcycle Racing Correspondent Lewis Duncan to discuss this very idea. They also look at the decision to move Rossi out of the works team and why this had to happen, and also delve into the impact Jorge Lorenzo’s return to the Yamaha fold as test rider will have going forward.
With all factory contracts up for grabs for the 2021 season, this year’s MotoGP ‘silly season’ is set to be the series’ maddest yet. One of the biggest story arcs in shaping the 2021 grid will be what nine-time grand prix motorcycle racing world champion Valentino Rossi decides to do; will he retire or will he decide to extend his stay in MotoGP. In the first edition of the Tank Slappers podcast in 2020, Autosport’s Motorcycle Racing Correspondent Lewis Duncan is joined by Motorsport.com’s Global MotoGP Editor Oriol Puigdemont to discuss Rossi’s options and as well as Yamaha’s. They also delve into what Ducati needs to do to topple the MotoGP juggernaut of Marc Marquez and Honda, and discuss Aprilia’s current situation with Andrea Iannone, who was hit with an anti-doping ban over the winter.
In a special edition of the show, the Tank Slappers podcast sits down with road racing hero Peter Hickman to discuss his sensational 2019 season. Crowned fastest newcomer at the Isle of Man TT on his debut in 2014 – a record he still holds to this day – Hickman has steadily chipped his way into the top of the pack on the roads, claiming multiple wins across all classes at the major international events.Hickman explains why he and the team pushed back against this decision, and reflects on his year on both the roads and in the British Superbike Championship. He also offers some insight into the confusion surrounding this year’s Macau Grand Prix, and the amazing gesture from declared race winner and team boss for the weekend Michael Rutter after the race.
Johann Zarco's place at the Avintia Ducati squad for the 2020 MotoGP season has been officially confirmed after he revealed last week that the deal was signed. How did he go from saying they are "not a top team" just days before signing for them? On this week's Tank Slappers podcast Lewis and Uri delve into the recent rumours and discuss the real reasons Zarco chose Ducati.
In a special edition of the Tank Slappers podcast, we sit down with Isle of Man TT legend John McGuinness. A winner of 23 TTs, McGuinness is one of the greatest road racers of all time and one of its most popular stars. He made a full-time return to racing this year following 18 months on the sidelines to recover from a horror leg injury. However, his return year proved difficult as numerous problems with his Norton machinery plagues his racing. In an exclusive sitdown with the Tank Slappers podcast, McGuinness discusses his season and what went wrong. He also talks about his future plans - which have included talks with Paul Bird about racing one of his Ducatis next season - and gives his thoughts on the loss of the Zero TT electric race and what could be done to rescue it.
On Monday in Valencia Honda announced it would be partnering Marc Marquez with his Moto2 world champion brother in MotoGP next season.
On Thursday in Valencia, Jorge Lorenzo announced his retirement, with rumours immediately swirling as to who could replace him at the works Honda team.
Sensationally, Alex Marquez emerged as a contender, with Autosport revealing on Friday that a deal was close to being agreed between both parties.
With the news now official, Motorsport.con’s Global MotoGP Editor Oriol Puigdemont and Autosport’s Motorcycle Racing Correspondent Lewis Duncan discuss the move on the latest edition of the Tank Slappers podcast.
Oriol and Lewis also share their fondest memories of Lorenzo’s glittering career, and discuss the rumours linking Johann Zarco – thought to be in line for Lorenzo’s Honda – to the Avintia Ducati team for next year.
The Tanks Slappers podcast is Autosport and the Motorsport Network’s podcast for all things two-wheeled, and can be found on Apple Podcasts via ITunes, Google Podcasts and Spotify – simply search for ‘Tank Slappers’.
On today's podcast, Lewis and Uri are talking about Vinales leading every lap of MotoGP's Malaysian Grand Prix to take a dominant win ahead of Marc Marquez and Andrea Dovizioso.
The victory was as straightforward as they come for Vinales, the Yamaha rider taking the lead on the opening lap and never looking back.
Both Marquez brothers enjoyed title success in 2019 - with Marc triumphing again in MotoGP and Alex winning Moto2. But for the latter, it has been a painful journey back to glory, riding in the shadow of his brother's success.
On this week’s Tank Slappers podcast, Motorsport.com’s Global MotoGP Editor Oriol Puigdemont and Autosport’s Motorcycle Racing Correspondent Lewis Duncan evaluate Zarco’s first weekend on the Honda and look ahead to what we can expect from him this weekend in Malaysia.
Oriol and Lewis also look at Jorge Lorenzo’s Australian GP nightmare, and discuss KTM’s new line-up for 2020 – and the rift this has caused.
KTM’s quest to find a replacement for Johann Zarco in its factory MotoGP team for 2020 may be nearing its end with a surprising name.
Numerous riders, including World Superbike star Alvaro Bautista, ex-KTM man Bradley Smith and Moto2 frontrunner Remy Gardner, have been linked to the vacant works RC16 for the 2020 season.
Test rider Mika Kallio’s call-up for the final six races of the season appeared to be a dress rehearsal for a full-time bow next year, but his performances have so far gone wanting.
Now it appears KTM has settled on double Moto2 podium finisher and current American Team KTM rider Iker Lecuona to join Pol Espargaro – if strong rumours emerging in the German press are to be believed.
The latest edition of the Tank Slappers podcast with Motorsport.com’s Global MotoGP Editor Oriol Puigdemont and Autosport’s Motorcycle Racing correspondent Lewis Duncan dig further into this rumour.
They also ask if the successes of Petronas SRT rookie Fabio Quartararo has prompted KTM to take its own gamble on an unknown quantity in MotoGP, and look ahead to this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix from Phillip Island.
The Tank Slappers podcast is Autosport and the Motorsport Network’s weekly podcast for all things two-wheeled, and can be found on Apple Podcasts via iTunes, Google Podcasts and Spotify – simply search for ‘Tank Slappers’.
Johann Zarco’s dramatic 2019 MotoGP season took another twist this week, as LCR Honda announced he would be joining the team for the final three races of the year.
After announcing his renewal with the team for 2020, LCR also confirmed Takaaki Nakagami will be undergoing an operation on a shoulder injury after his home race of the Japanese Grand Prix this weekend.
Zarco, who was dumped from KTM’s line-up following the Misano race - having already asked to get out of his two-year deal with the team in Austria amid a difficult campaign – will take over Nakagami’s 2018-spec RC213V.
On the face of it, this is Honda and LCR looking at the best available option to them to do a good job replacing Nakagami.
However, this move is also being seen as Honda’s way of evaluating Zarco – who it wanted for its 2019 line-up originally – as a potential replacement for the struggling Jorge Lorenzo next year.
Motorsport.com’s global MotoGP editor Oriol Puigdemont and Autosport’s Motorcycle Racing Correspondent discuss the thinking behind this in the latest edition of the Tank Slappers podcast and ponder Zarco’s hopes of realistically making it onto the grid full-time next year.
They also ask if Zarco will force more performance out of Lorenzo, and indeed if Honda has brought Zarco in to put pressure on Lorenzo and perhaps force him to decide to call time on his HRC career a year early.
Today, Lewis and Uri look at the career of Marc Marquez who has won eight grand prix world titles after clinching his sixth MotoGP world championship in Thailand.
The Honda rider has re-written the rulebook on what a fast rider is supposed to be ever since he stepped onto the scene, and has been a near-unstoppable force across the last decade through all three classes of the World Championship.
In MotoGP, he has romped to success largely on bikes not capable in any other rider’s hands of doing so in MotoGP’s most competitive era – with 2019 arguably his toughest challenge yet.
Now joining nine-time world champion Valentino Rossi (seven 500cc/MotGP) and 15-time world champion Giacomo Agostini (eight 500cc) as the only six-time premier class title winners, the question has been raised: is Marquez the greatest rider of all time?
Uri joins the podcast from Thailand to reflect, with co-host Lewis, on the first session today.
In the latter stages of Friday’s first practice, Marc Marquez suffered a violent highside, which demolished his RC213V and left him unable to breathe for five seconds afterwards.
Has that crash has left Marquez rattled ahead of his first match point?
Jorge Lorenzo has dismissed the idea of quitting Honda's MotoGP team a year early in the same way Johann Zarco has done with KTM, despite saying he is "not happy".
Lorenzo has endured a similarly miserable time in his debut Honda season, with the triple MotoGP world champion yet to register a top 10 finish in a year marred by difficulties in adapting to the RC213V from the Ducati he previously rode and numerous injury setbacks.
Have we seen what MotoGP will look like in the next decade? This week Lewis and Uri talk about an incredible GP at Masano, one which has given us a glimpse into the future of Moto GP. Championship leader Marc Marquez won MotoGP's San Marino Grand Prix, after seeing off rookie Fabio Quartararo in a breathless last-lap battle.
We are now one month down the road from KTM's shock announcement that Johann Zarco will be leaving the team at the end of the year, but we still no closer to knowing who his replacement will be for the 2020 MotoGP season. However an unlikely candidate from the World Superbike paddock has emerged as a potential favourite for the seat in the form of ex-MotoGP rider Alvaro Bautista. Before we into his potential deal in World Superbikes next year, Bautista is not a bad option due to his experience in MotoGP.
Without the budgets of Honda, Yamaha or Ducati, we explore how Suzuki are using their resources to punch above their weight.
In the first episode of the Tank Slappers podcast, Uri and Lewis are joined by Jamie Klein to discuss Zarco's departure from KTM and Lorenzo's flirtation with a return to Ducati.