Tank Slappers - A Motorsport Network MotoGP Podcast

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.

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.

Lewis Duncan and Oriol Puigdemont make sense of a frantic flag-to-flag race in France.

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.