Paddock Pass Podcast

Adam and Dave track down Neil somewhere in Melbourne ahead of the 18th round of 2026 MotoGP and for Phillip Island’s swansong. There is plenty of MotoGP news to discuss before some thoughts on the departure of the iconic layout.

The weekend started with a ride out to the circuit led by the home hero Miguel Oliveira. The Portuguese star was born just 30 minutes from the Estoril Circuit and while he had a hat-trick of podiums at Portimao in Round 2 this was a special occassion for the BMW man. Having a corner named after him and being the star attraction for the weekend wasn't enough for Miguel; he enjoyed his best weekend since the Hungarian Round. The circuit was busier this year than previous years, more than 5000 extra tickets were sold in advance of the weekend, but unfortunately for Oliveira it was another weekend of Ducati domination.

Having been crowned the World Champion last time out Nicolo Bulega was back at his best to claim a hat-trick once again. The Italian rider, who joined us on Thursday's Paddock Notes show, is ready to cap off his WorldSBK career next weekend in Jerez by smashing more records. The most wins in a season, most points in a season and a host of other records are all his to claim.

There were plenty of other stories within the paddock with Alberto Surra's superb run of form continuing. The Motocorsa rookie finished third in all three races and looks increasingly comfortable with the expecations being placed on his shoulders. A new contract was confirmed in advance of the weekend but his Superpole Race performance showed his maturity. In Race 2 he pressured Alvaro Bautista into a mistake and a crash at Turn 1 but what does the future hold for Alvaro?

Sizzling stuff in Indonesia. Adam, David and Neil are in slightly cooler European climes but still have their thoughts and takes on round 17 of 22 in 2026 MotoGP in Mandalika. Can Aprilia breathe again? Will Marc Marquez be content? Thank the GP gods for Pedro Acosta? These and more.

Adam, Dave and Neil are joined by commentator Louis Suddaby from the Mandalika Media Centre to talk about the proposed qualification changes for 2027, the reactions in the paddock, expectations for round 17 of MotoGP and more.

While Adam is off watching the Motocross of Nations in Ernee, France, David and Neil hold the fort to discuss an interesting but not exciting Japanese round of MotoGP. The championship tightened up, both in terms of point difference and in terms of the number of title contenders, but who exactly emerges from Motegi in better shape, Marc Marquez or Marco Bezzecchi?

Plus we talk Michelin's Magic Motegi Tyre, which nobody wanted to touch until Sunday, when they were forced to and discovered that actually, they should have been using it from the beginning. Plus Pedro Acosta's tough weekend, is this the real Enea Bastianini, and how Gigi Dall'Igna helped turn Ducati into the victory machine it has become. All that, plus winners and losers, grand prix grades, and awful pop lyrics.