Simon Patterson

MotoGP

VR46 picks Ducati for 2022 MotoGP deal, Ducati keeps Miller

Valentino Rossi’s VR46 team has chosen Ducati over Yamaha and Aprilia for its 2022 MotoGP deal, and Ducati’s decided to keep Jack Miller. Next up in the silly season: Andrea Dovizioso and Rossi’s plans

MotoGP

Rossi’s right – MotoGP needs to scrap flag to flag races now

MotoGP’s flag to flag race format adds to the drama in changeable conditions and is ideal for TV. But, Simon Patterson argues, the championship is exciting enough already, and therefore the associated risks for riders when the weather changes means this is one format tweak too far

MotoGP

MotoGP 2021 French Grand Prix rider ratings

The dry-wet-dry French GP was a prime opportunity for 2021’s underperformers to tear up the form book. Some of them took it

MotoGP

Espargaro, Morbidelli at odds after incident with Rossi

Pol Espargaro, Franco Morbidelli and Valentino Rossi have apportioned blame differently for the three-bike Le Mans incident that led to Morbidelli crashing

MotoGP

Why a wet French GP could help extend Rossi’s MotoGP career

This weekend’s Le Mans race looks perfectly timed for Valentino Rossi to grab a good result and justify another season in MotoGP to himself

MotoGP

Why MotoGP witnessed a surprise Q1 giant-killing at Le Mans

Lorenzo Savadori pulled off his best qualifying and cost MotoGP heavy-hitters dearly in qualifying. He doesn’t like riding in the rain, but here’s the reason he was able to shine

MotoGP

MotoGP riders demand rethink of Le Mans race dates

A number of MotoGP riders, including a “very angry” Aleix Espargaro, want the series to find a new calendar slot for the French GP in future

MotoGP

Rossi’s manufacturer dilemma at heart of MotoGP’s silly season

The 2022 MotoGP silly season is in full swing, and a sudden Yamaha offer to Valentino Rossi’s team could completely change the whole picture

MotoGP

Marquez elated, others worried by ‘scary’ Austria double

Honda factory rider Marc Marquez believes he’ll be closer to the frontrunning pace thanks to the cancellation of MotoGP’s Finnish round extending the summer break, but riders have raised concerns over the fallback plan of two races at the Red Bull Ring. Still in a fight to return to full fitness aft

MotoGP

ITV to broadcast Silverstone MotoGP race on main channel

This year’s British GP will finally return to primetime TV, with MotoGP placing the Silverstone race on ITV’s main channel

MotoGP

MotoGP replaces Finnish GP with second Red Bull Ring race

The MotoGP calendar will contain a Red Bull Ring double-header for the second year in a row, following the cancellation of the planned Finland race

MotoGP

Marquez argues Honda still paying price for leaderless 2020

Marc Marquez believe Honda’s entire MotoGP structure is still paying the price for its disastrous 2020 season

MotoGP

What you’ve missed if you last watched MotoGP in 2013

MotoGP is back on free-to-air TV in the UK with ITV4 this weekend for the first time since 2013. So if you switched off when it left the BBC for BT Sport, here’s our guide to what you need to know

MotoGP

Why Le Mans can offer ’21 redemption for its podium trio

Rain dictated the 2020 Le Mans MotoGP race, and it may dictate the 2021 race, too. And that would be timely for its most recent podium trio

MotoGP

MotoGP’s most surprising championship leaders

The MotoGP 2021 season has already added two very surprising names to the very short list of championship leaders in the modern era. Some of the past shock leaders soon fell away, others were never toppled

MotoGP

Zarco’s title bid cameo is over – Now for his real mission

It was fun while it lasted but Johann Zarco’s fallen away from the MotoGP championship lead and it’s hard to see him fighting back. So now he can focus on the real goal of his Pramac Ducati season

MotoGP

Time for Mir to capitalise on early title defence let-off

Fabio Quartararo’s Spanish Grand Prix drama was an early-season get-out-of-jail-free card for MotoGP’s low-key defending champion Joan Mir – but now is the time to deliver

MotoGP

Le Mans MotoGP race to be shown live on ITV4 in UK

Next weekend’s French Grand Prix at Le Mans will become the first MotoGP race since 2013 to be aired on free-to-view TV in the UK

MotoGP

The shared flaw holding back two long-time MotoGP rivals

Alex Rins and Maverick Viñales rose up the ranks to MotoGP together, but now they’re both suffering from the same flaw that’s preventing them from fighting for the title

MotoGP

Why Honda’s Jerez standout cried tears of frustration

Though Takaaki Nakagami was the bright spot in Honda’s otherwise bad Jerez weekend, he was also left feeling disappointed

MotoGP

Honda changed in Marquez’s absence – and it’s hurting him

As Marc Marquez’s fitness improves, he’s starting to get a proper sense of Honda’s 2021 MotoGP bike – and he’s not happy with it

MotoGP

Quartararo undergoes surgery after arm pump cost him win

Erstwhile MotoGP championship leader Fabio Quartararo has undergone surgery to alleviate the arm pump condition that led to his dramatic slump from the Jerez race lead

MotoGP

A ‘forgetful’ critic’s response to Miller’s Jerez statement

Jack Miller faced his fair share of criticism from both the media and fans alike for a difficult start to his 2021 MotoGP season – that was until he took a shock win at Jerez and left them all eating humble pie

MotoGP

Espargaro brands Honda a ‘mess’ after dismal Jerez race

Pol Espargaro didn’t hold back in his assessment of his feeling aboard Honda’s RC213V, admitting that it’s a “mess” everywhere but under braking

MotoGP

Moto3 rider ‘lucky to be alive’ after cutting neck at Jerez

Tech3 KTM Moto3 rider Deniz Oncu has admitted that he’s “lucky to be alive” after his last-corner fall in today’s Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez

MotoGP

Can anybody break Quartararo’s Jerez strangehold?

Fabio Quartararo won both MotoGP races from pole position at Jerez last year, we discuss whether he can do the same in 2021 to extend his points lead

MotoGP

Espargaro ‘very angry’ Jerez safety not addressed yet

Aprilia rider Aleix Espargaro was “very angry” with the Jerez circuit following qualifying for tomorrow’s Spanish Grand Prix, after a series of high-speed crashes highlighted the significant lack of run-off at a number of the track’s corners

MotoGP

Forgetting details of big Jerez crash ‘scared’ Marquez

Marc Marquez experienced his first big crash since returning to MotoGP at last week’s Portuguese Grand Prix, and he admitted that he didn’t “exactly remember” his high-speed fall during FP3 at Jerez

MotoGP

Marquez cleared for Spanish GP after hospital visit

Marc Marquez is fit to continue in the rest of the Spanish Grand Prix weekend at Jerez, after precautionary CT scans at a local hospital didn’t uncover any serious injuries

MotoGP

Miller ‘never been so desperate’ for better MotoGP form

Factory Ducati MotoGP rider Jack Miller has admitted that he’s still ‘in the shit’ and has “never been so desperate” for his MotoGP season to turn around ahead of this Sunday’s Spanish Grand Prix

MotoGP

Is Aprilia a genuine MotoGP victory threat at Jerez?

Close over one lap and a standout in race trim, Aleix Espargaro had as good a Friday at Jerez as Aprilia could’ve hoped for.

MotoGP

Rossi ducks questions over his MotoGP team’s new Saudi deal

Valentino Rossi was keen to downplay – and distance himself from – questions over his VR46 MotoGP team’s 2022 deal with Saudi Arabian state oil company Aramco when pressed about it

MotoGP

Why Marquez won’t have Rossi-style MotoGP farewell tour

Now one of MotoGP’s elder statesmen despite being only 28, Marc Marquez has indicated he will not keep riding long beyond his career peak

MotoGP

The MotoGP fairytale Jerez promises but likely won’t deliver

This weekend’s Spanish GP at Jerez will mark the unlikely return to MotoGP action of one of the series’ most unfortunate riders

MotoGP

Gresini’s wife takes over running of MotoGP team

Fausto Gresini’s wife Nadia and two of his sons will take over the running of the Gresini Racing MotoGP team after his death, as it moves to finalise its new programme after ending its Aprilia works deal

MotoGP

Rossi’s MotoGP team set for ’22 expansion with Saudi sponsor

Valentino Rossi’s VR46 squad will remain in MotoGP through 2026 and is set to run two bikes, following a tie-in with Saudi Arabian backers

MotoGP

‘Disgrace’ shout adds to open revolt against MotoGP stewards

Stewards can never please everyone, but the relentless barrage of discontent against the MotoGP panel is not a sustainable situation

MotoGP

What we want to see from MotoGP’s 2021 wildcards

MotoGP wildcards are back for 2021. Here are the riders, the tech and the liveries we’re eagerly awaiting each manufacturer deploying

MotoGP

What’s gone wrong for MotoGP 2020’s breakthrough team?

Last year Tech3 KTM got its first MotoGP wins. This year it can barely score a point, even at Portimao where it dominated five months earlier. Simon Patterson looks into the reasons why

MotoGP

Quartararo’s transformation from fragile to MotoGP favourite

Fabio Quartararo reeling off two commanding wins and taking the MotoGP championship lead happened last year too – and then his title bid nosedived. But the Yamaha rider is in a very different place mentally in 2021