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Paddock Pass Podcast Episode 558: Mugello Memories - Was 2006 Valentino Rossi's Finest Victory?

David Emmett — Tue, 26 May 2026 14:45:01 +0000

Paddock Pass Podcast Episode 558: Mugello Memories - Was 2006 Valentino Rossi's Finest Victory?

It is race week once again, and this weekend we are back at magnificent, majestic, marvelous Mugello. Adam, Neil and David go through a few pieces of news - a MotoGP one-bike rule, Aprilia to get Monster as sponsor, a surprise replacement for Johann Zarco, and the return of Marc Marquez - before looking back to the 2006 Italian Grand Prix at Mugello.

In that race, Valentino Rossi outwitted Loris Capirossi, Nicky Hayden, Casey Stoner, Marco Melandri and Sete Gibernau in an epic and memorable battle. The crew discuss why Mugello 2006 matters so much, how Rossi found himself trailing in the championship at that point, explain how the MotoGP tyre wars worked and why the single tyre rule was introduced, and ask whether Mugello 2006 was one of Rossi's greatest victories. What made the Italian such a racing great?

David Emmett Tue, 26/May/2026 - 14:45

Tuesday MotoGP News Round Up: Marc Marquez At Mugello, Monster Aprilia, One-Bike Rule, Dall'Igna Interview

David Emmett — Tue, 26 May 2026 12:47:34 +0000

Tuesday MotoGP News Round Up: Marc Marquez At Mugello, Monster Aprilia, One-Bike Rule, Dall'Igna Interview

It is race week again after a weekend hiatus, and MotoGP is back in action at Mugello. So here are a few bits of news that caught my eye in the past week or so.

Marquez at Mugello

There had been rumors at Barcelona that the surgery Marc Marquez had had after Le Mans to remove the broken screw from his shoulder had gone well, and that he was making much better progress than hoped. Those rumors appear to be true, as Marquez and Ducati posted on their social media accounts that he had undergone a medical check and cleared to travel to Mugello. The Spaniard will face a fitness test at the circuit, and if passed fit, will be allowed to take part in the Italian Grand Prix at Mugello.

David Emmett Tue, 26/May/2026 - 12:47

Former F1 Team Boss Ross Brawn Joins Pramac Racing As Strategic Advisor

David Emmett — Tue, 26 May 2026 10:56:25 +0000

Former F1 Team Boss Ross Brawn Joins Pramac Racing As Strategic Advisor

Former F1 team principal and technical director Ross Brawn is to join Pramac Racing's Board of Directors in a non-executive role, Pramac announced today. Brawn, a legendary figure in F1 circles, is to join Pramac as a strategic advisor, providing advice and assistance to team owner Paolo Campinoti.

Campinoti has deep ties in the F1 paddock. The Italian team boss is very close to F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali, the Pramac bikes sporting an F1 logo on their tails as a result. For Brawn to join Pramac makes sense seen in this light, as Brawn's last position was with the Formula One Group as technical director. He retired from F1 in 2022.

David Emmett Tue, 26/May/2026 - 10:56

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Fabio Di Giannantonio's Braking Masterclass: "It's About Power, But Also Sensitivity"

David Emmett — Mon, 25 May 2026 15:44:04 +0000

Fabio Di Giannantonio's Braking Masterclass: "It's About Power, But Also Sensitivity"

How do you stop a racing motorcycle as you hurtle toward a corner at well north of 350 km/h? Most MotoGP fans will quote the old Kevin Schwantz adage: "See God, then brake", most famously (and incorrectly, as Mat Oxley explains here) applied to the epic last-lap overtake on Wayne Rainey at Hockenheim in 1991. In other words, you wait until the last minute and then jam on the brakes as hard as possible.

As with most preconceptions about racing, it is wrong. Braking is a much more subtle art. Riders have to balance the limits of grip of the front tire, braking from the engine, and using the rear to help slow up the bike and take some (but not too much!) of the pressure from the front tire, holding the front and rear brake deep into the corner, gradually releasing pressure as you ask more of the tire in cornering, giving up stopping.

To get the balance right, you need to select the right brake discs for the front - Brembo have a choice of six, from low and high mass 320mm discs, to low mass, high mass, and finned 340mm discs, or the massive 355mm finned discs used at tracks like Motegi and Austria - find the right master cylinder to handle the pressure you exert on the lever, set the lever distance just right, and get the shape of the lever right for your braking style. You have to decide between using one finger, two fingers, three fingers, just the index finger, the middle finger, or the middle and ring finger, to find the right balance between strength and subtlety.

David Emmett Mon, 25/May/2026 - 15:44

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Steve English: WorldSBK Most Review - Data-cati continues to dominate WorldSBK

Steve English — Sun, 24 May 2026 14:32:37 +0000

Steve English: WorldSBK Most Review - Data-cati continues to dominate WorldSBK

WorldSBK 2026 is Ducati territory, so for MotoMatters.com subscribers and supporters, Steve English looked at how data sharing is helping the Bologna manufacturer as they adapt to a new bike this season. Nicolo Bulega is dominating, Yari Montella is impressing while Alberto Surra's strong results also prove just how successful Ducati has been.

The further into the 2026 WorldSBK season we go the harder it becomes to find new ways to explain Nicolo Bulega’s supremacy. Five rounds in, fifteen wins on the board, and the Italian’s supremacy at each round is now almost inevitable. Each weekend feels less like a battle for victory and more like a showcase of why Ducati’s leading man simply can’t be ignored for a MotoGP seat next year.

Steve English Sun, 24/May/2026 - 14:32

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Neil Morrison: Is Fabio Di Giannantonio MotoGP’s most underrated rider?

Neil Morrison — Fri, 22 May 2026 15:30:40 +0000

Neil Morrison: Is Fabio Di Giannantonio MotoGP’s most underrated rider?

Somewhere amid the crashes, controversy and anxious waits over riders’ health, a major MotoGP story took shape on Sunday. Fabio Di Giannantonio won his first race in 910 days, lifting himself in to title contention. Not for the first time in 2026, the Italian’s reliable excellence was somewhat overlooked.

On most normal Sundays, the headlines would have reflected the valour of his second ever win in the class. Yet the 27-year old was the first to acknowledge Alex Marquez and Johann Zarco’s wellbeing was of much greater importance.

One of Di Giannantonio’s most impressive feats was almost lost in the noise of those incidents, plus the clashes between Jorge Martin and Raul Fernandez plus Ai Ogura and Pedro Acosta.

Recovering from a poor start, he fought through from fifth to reel in the lead KTM with just over two laps to play. The feat was all the more remarkable considering the Italian was the rider that came closest to being wiped out by the remnants of Marquez’s exploding Ducati on that terrifying run down to Turn 10 which was more aircraft wreckage than motorcycle race.

Neil Morrison Fri, 22/May/2026 - 15:30

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Paddock Pass Podcast Episode 556: Bulega Victory March Continues At Most

David Emmett — Thu, 21 May 2026 20:05:32 +0000

Paddock Pass Podcast Episode 556: Bulega Victory March Continues At Most

Nicolo Bulega cleaned up at Most in the Czech Republic, but he did not get it all his own way this time. Iker Lecuona gets closer to beating his Aruba.it Ducati teammate every round, pushing Bulega to the last lap in Race 2. Steve and Gordo talk through what happened at Most, the ups and the downs, and ask if Bulega will finally be challenged.

Please join our merry band of supporters by signing up to the Paddock Pass Podcast Patreon to get access to our Discord server and a host of exclusive content. Show you are listening to the world's smartest racing podcast by getting your t-shirts, caps, hoodies and more from our merch store. Enjoy the show!

David Emmett Thu, 21/May/2026 - 20:05

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2026 Misano WorldSBK Test Day 2 Times: Bulega Within A Tenth Of Pole Record

David Emmett — Thu, 21 May 2026 19:15:02 +0000

2026 Misano WorldSBK Test Day 2 Times: Bulega Within A Tenth Of Pole Record

The WorldSBK domination of the 2026 Ducati Panigale V4R, and the domination by Nicolo Bulega in particular continued at the two-day Misano test. The 2025 WorldSBK runner up and current championship leader was four tenths faster than his Aruba.it Ducati teammate Iker Lecuona, and just a tenth shy of his pole record at the Misano World Circuit.

Bulega led a Ducati onslaught at Misano. Lecuona was second fastest, a tenth of a second quicker than Yari Montella on the Barni Ducati. Montella had been testing a Suter swingarm on Wednesday, dropping it for the standard item on Thursday.

David Emmett Thu, 21/May/2026 - 19:15

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Barcelona MotoGP Tire Pressures - Why Did Five Riders Get Penalties?

David Emmett — Thu, 21 May 2026 09:00:00 +0000

Barcelona MotoGP Tire Pressures - Why Did Five Riders Get Penalties?

Amid all the chaos and carnage of the Barcelona round of MotoGP, adding insult to injury was the fact that of the seventeen finishers, six were investigated for being under the minimum tire pressure. Though Pecco Bagnaia was eventually cleared - his wheel rim was found to be leaking, though at what rate we do not know - Toprak Razgatlioglu, Raul Fernandez, Joan Mir, Alex Rins, and Jack Miller were all handed a 16-second penalty.

For Razgatlioglu, Fernandez, Rins, and Miller, the penalties did not make a vast amount of difference. Rins dropped from eleventh to fourteenth, Miller from fourteenth, Razgatlioglu dropped out of the points from fifteenth to sixteenth, and Raul Fernandez had already lost so much time in his collision with Jorge Martin on the opening lap of the third attempt to start the race that he was already out of the points.

David Emmett Thu, 21/May/2026 - 09:00

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2026 Misano WorldSBK Test Day 1 Times: Bulega Leads Ducati Onslaught

David Emmett — Wed, 20 May 2026 17:07:29 +0000

2026 Misano WorldSBK Test Day 1 Times: Bulega Leads Ducati Onslaught

Just a few days after the Czech round of WorldSBK has finished, the Superbike grid is back in action, this time at Misano. Under perfect conditions for a change - hot and sunny, instead of the rain that has plagued pretty much all of preseason testing - the Ducatis once again stamped their authority on proceedings.

David Emmett Wed, 20/May/2026 - 17:07

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