Number 72

Seems like the issue of the Thai MotoGP race has been resolved, with national politics briefly throwing it into doubt. A new five-year deal through to 2031 has been approved by cabinet this week.

As discussed on today’s 2015 Recisited podcast on Valencia 2015: the Rossi media debrief on Sunday night! Have a look around, you might recognise a few faces!

Honda has a new World Superbike test rider: Jonathan Rea is back where it all started for him!

🇺🇦🏁I love you wonderful people (although our postman might not!). Parcels arriving constantly at the minute for our Ukraine toy drive 🥰 www.amazon.co.uk/registries/g...

Back home, briefly

Jorge Martin will travel to Valencia with the intention of racing in the final round of the year (pending approval from the medical team)

Maverick Vinales will return to MotoGP action this weekend at the Valencia season finale

Homeward bound

I’m sorry, Costa Coffee Portugal - there is no way on earth that your flat whites are supposed to have FIVE shots of espresso in them (not that I’m complaining at 0545) 😂

So many of the world's problems these days are caused by how easy it's become to insult people with zero risk of being punched in the face as a consequence 😂

VR46 update on Franco Morbidelli

Miguel says that finishing the race ‘was like 100kg lifting off my shoulders.’ Admitted it was hard to put his helmet on after his daughter handed him the 🇵🇹 flag during the opening ceremony

Speaking of losing third in the championship, ‘the rider who has overtaken me deserves it more’

Congratulations to Lorenzo Savadori on his Moto3 race win 🤣

Quiles dominates Piqueras and Furusato for the win. Impressive stuff from the wildcards, with Esteban P4 and O’Gorman P6

Casey O’Gorman getting absolutely stuck into the lead group 👏☘️

In case you’re wondering why the MotoGP press conference only lasted ten minutes: it’s because they started it while other riders were still doing their debriefs, and journalists can’t be in two places at once… 🤦‍♂️

On Friday night, Joel Kelso told me that he thought that maybe a group could break away here. Well, so far it looks like a group of one might be able to - and he’s in it!

Maximo Quiles has a complete disregard for track limits 😂

Tyres and grid for Moto3

There are zero people who would have predicted this would be Aprilia's best season in MotoGP, but with no contribution from Jorge or Ai.

Bez dominates what was, let's be honest, not a classic. Marquez P2 in the end, with Acosta P3 (and regretting he didn't find that pace a lap sooner)

Three laps to go in a rather dull race, and Acosta has suddenly woken up in P3 and is hunting down Alex Marquez at a rapid pace. Alex's front tyre looks a tad... over used

For reasons I absolutely cannot understand, the fans outside are currently going wild. Considering Miguel is P14 +2s and -1s, I doubt it's for him...!

Nicolo Bulega is going to score points on his MotoGP debut!

Quartararo's slide backwards from fourth has started. Aldeguer past him, Binder all over him, and Zarco and Ogura not far away.

That gives Bezzecchi a virtual 35-point lead over Bagnaia for third in the championship.

Hmm. Crash for Pecco Bagnaia out of P4. Rider OK, but man it's hard to assess this weekend for him.

I think Aldeguer will find himself in a bit of trouble for his fighting with Binder. I believe he was warned yesterday by the stewards for 'centre punching' Jack Miller (Jack's words) twice on the opening lap

The gap to Bezzecchi is closing down, but you've got to think that the Aprilia is nonetheless saving a bit more tyre than two notoriously not very good at that guys

ANOTHER mechanical problem for Mir. Yesterday's was clutch, today looks like it could be the same. Bastianini also into the pits, but his could be damage from Morbidelli contact?

Bezzecchi leads, quite comfortably so far. Half a second at the end of lap one. Marquez and Acosta battling for second.

Franco Morbidelli down on the first lap. Tripped himself into a whole world of trouble there, and was lucky not to take anyone sle with him

Tyres. Race start in three minutes

… Eh?

‘I think that it was better that I broke my arm’ - Dutch stoicism from Collin! Says that his injury was a very impotent moment for him improving mentally as a racer

Teammate love: Collin videocalled Jose Antonio Rueda from parc ferme!

Long lap penalty next weekend for Ayumu Sasaki for taking out Marcos Ramirez when he crashed in that race

Diogo Moreira now all but guaranteed to arrive in MotoGP as the reigning world champion, and Manu Gonzalez now at the very least locked into P2

When the world championship is going to be decided by whether someone finishes P6 or P7, we should really be watching that rider crossing the line... and not someone else's celebrations 🤦‍♂️

Moreira holds off for the win from Veijer and Alonso. Goes to Valencia with a 24-point championship lead.

Crash on the last lap for Jake Dixon

Beautiful move on Veijer by Moreira to take the lead. And suddenly there's three fighting for the win with two laps to go!

Veijer is starting to fade a little, and Moreira is all over him again. But it's an interesting one where the guy chasing has to be the careful one - and has to be aware of Alonso behind too.

Half distance, and Veijer leads Moreira pretty comfortably. Alonso into P3 and not really closing the 1s gap. Canet into P5 now, and Gonzales finally with a bit of clear road in P6. Moreira currently has an 18-point title lead.

🇳🇱 Collin Veijer leads! And Dixon is looking to attack Moreira for second now too. But watch David Alonso in P4...

TV helicopter through into P7 😂

Moreira leads from Veijer and Dixon, with a bit of chaos for fourth giving him some breathing space. Gonzales in P6, which is at the minimum enough to give him a Valencia hope

Tyres and the grid for the penultimate Moto2 race of 2025