Tank Slappers - A Motorsport Network MotoGP Podcast

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.