MotoGP Podcast: Aprilia impress, Yamaha woe, Suzuki top speed
In this extract from the latest Crash.net MotoGP podcast, former racer Keith Huewen, Crash.net MotoGP editor Peter McLaren and podcast host Harry Benjamin discuss contrasting opening round fortunes for Aprilia, Yamaha and Suzuki.
Aprilia, now the only factory still with technical concessions, made its best ever start to a four-stroke MotoGP season with fourth place by Aleix Espargaro, although team-mate Maverick Vinales could only manage twelfth.
Defending world champions and last year's double Qatar winners Yamaha were left in a best of ninth place with Fabio Quartararo, as unexpected tyre pressure problems added to the M1's daunting lack of top speed.
How much might such performance issues affect Quartararo's 2023 contract negotiations?
Top speed is an area where Suzuki have made eye-catching gains, going from being easily overtaken on the Lusail straight last year to setting the best speeds of the weekend. Yet Joan Mir and Alex Rins still struggled in the race...
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Peter has been in the paddock for 20 years and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.
