December 2022

Valencia Test Deep Dive, Part 2: Ground Effect - KTM And Ducati Follow Aprilia's Lead

By David Emmett |

Maverick Viñales at Valencia aboard the Aprilia RS-GP. Photo: Cormac Ryan Meenan

For the past few years, Ducati have been the manufacturer pioneering the direction of development in MotoGP. Ducati will come up with a new idea, which the other manufacturers will hastily copy, with a greater or lesser degree of success. Holeshot devices, ride-height devices, winglets. The latest example of this are the tail fins, the four winglets sticking up from the tail of the Desmosedici, which have suddenly also sprouted from the tail of the Honda RC213V and the Yamaha M1.

(As an aside, what do these tail winglets do? Riders report they give better stability, especially under braking. They are too tall to be purely vortex generators – which would reduce drag by smoothing the boundary layer of air on the tail. A possible explanation is that they are directing the airflow coming off the rider, the least aerodynamic part of the motorcycle. But they could also be helping to keep the tail of the bike straight under braking once the load disappears from the rear wheel and shifts to the front. But I digress.)

MotoGP's Expanding Calendar - Why MotoGP Races Where, And How Dorna And Circuits Make Money

By David Emmett |

The expansion of the MotoGP calendar has met with resistance from a variety of quarters. While a section of MotoGP fans are enthusiastic about there being 21 races next year, up from 20 in 2022, and from 19 pre-pandemic, those inside the MotoGP paddock are largely opposed.

That includes at least some of the manufacturers. KTM bosses Hubert Trunkenpolz and Stefan Pierer were adamant that the ideal number of races on the MotoGP calendar was 18. "18 races would be ideal, 20 is the absolute maximum," Trunkenpolz told Speedweek's Günther Wiesinger.

Pierer agreed with his fellow KTM board member. "I made it very clear to Dorna boss Carmelo Ezpeleta that we as a manufacturer want a maximum of 18 grand prix," Pierer told Speedweek.

Trunkenpolz was damning of the choice of Sokol International Racetrack as a venue. "Kazakhstan makes absolutely no sense, as far as we are concerned. The Buddh International Circuit near New Delhi was a better prospect, as India is an important market for the motorcycle manufacturers.

Making money going racing

Diego Gubellini Interview: On Fabio Quartararo, Battling With The Ducatis, And Developing The Yamaha

By David Emmett |

Diego Gubellini talking to Fabio Quartararo on the grid at the Red Bull Ring in Austria
Diego Gubellini talking to Fabio Quartararo on the grid at the Red Bull Ring in Austria

Fabio Quartararo missed out on the 2022 MotoGP title by a handful of points. The advantage Pecco Bagnaia had going into the final round was too great to overcome at Valencia. Given the lack of horsepower the 2022 Yamaha M1 had, it was impressive that Quartararo took the championship down to the final race.

Quartararo's feat was down in no small part to his crew chief, Diego Gubellini. The Italian, who was paired with the Frenchman in what was then the Petronas Yamaha satellite squad and moved up to the factory Monster Energy Yamaha team with him, helped Quartararo extract every ounce of performance from the M1.

I spoke to Gubellini on the Thursday before the final race, looking back at the 2022 season and how he and Quartararo worked to get the best out of the Yamaha M1. He talked about his role as crew chief, maximizing the speed of the Yamaha, and his role in the development of the 2023 machine.

Paddock Pass Podcast Episode 309: How The MotoGP Manufacturers Measured Up With Peter Bom, Part 2

By David Emmett |

In the second part of David Emmett's chat with former crew chief and now MotoGP expert commentator Peter Bom, the pair dive into the three remaining factories. We discuss what made Suzuki's GSX-RR so special, and why it was such a competitive bike. We discuss KTM, how they had success in the factory team, with Miguel Oliveira winning races and Brad Binder capable of passing so many riders, while the Tech3 satellite squad struggled with two rookies.

We also take a look at Honda, and what they did to the RC213V. Why did they have such a difficult year? What was wrong with the bike? Can the fix it in time to prevent Marc Marquez from leaving? And what happens if he goes to Ducati?

Paddock Pass Podcast Episode 310: Holiday Special - Winners, Losers, Surprises, Races, And Special Moments Of 2022

By David Emmett |

In the last Paddock Pass Podcast for 2022, Neil Morrison, Adam Wheeler, and David Emmett take a look back at the 2022 MotoGP season and pick out their highs and lows. They choose their riders of the year, their races of the year, the rider who has most surprised them, and what they would ask Santa Claus to bring them to make MotoGP even better in 2023.

There was a lot to talk about, so it's a long show, and as an added bonus, Neil Morrison sat down with KTM Moto2 rider and 2021 Moto3 champion Pedro Acosta.

Thanks for all the support through the year, especially to everyone who supported the show through Patreon. And special thanks again to Fly Racing and Renthal Street for their support.

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