MotoGP 2026 resumes at Jerez this weekend but it’s doing so without Maverick Vinales due to his latest fitness blow - and, as Simon, Val and Matt explain on The Race MotoGP Podcast, that’s particularly terrible timing for his career.

They also debate whether riders have too much power over their own fitness decisions, and whether MotoGP needs a totally different approach to stand-in rider provision.

Plus with Val fresh from a weekend at the World Superbike Championship, they discuss why its crushingly dominant points leader Nicolo Bulega’s MotoGP chances are looking more complicated but also why WSBK isn’t exactly crying out for MotoGP rejects either.

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Much of the MotoGP grid for 2027 and beyond appears to have been sorted behind the scenes, with more of the dominos falling into play as the 'restart' of the season approaches.

But while factories and riders maneouvre in secret, who are truly the most valuable MotoGP riders in the short- and medium-term - and who would get the first phone calls if the entire grid was reset?

The Race MotoGP Podcast's crew seeks to paint a picture by borriwing a 'draft' format from other sports, with Val Khorounzhiy, Simon Patterson, editor Jordan Moreland and special guest Eden Hannigan choosing their optimal MotoGP line-ups.

Would Marc Marquez, Fabio Quartararo or Pedro Acosta be the first choice in a true free-for-all? Does a bike manufacturer with a proven track record have more pull than a 'star' rider? And which riders look surplus to requirements for the next generation of MotoGP rules?

This and more as we put together our mock 2027-2028 MotoGP grid.

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With MotoGP on an unscheduled spring break, we figured it was time to revisit the modern-era history of blockbuster rider moves - particularly those that dramatically changed careers, for better or worse.

Can anything top Valentino Rossi's Yamaha pivot? And did he stay a Yamaha rider too long? And how should history really judge Ducati's big-money move for Jorge Lorenzo?

This and more - much more - in our latest episode of The Race MotoGP Podcast.

Enjoy 90% off your first month with The Race Members' Club: Sign up to our motorbike-only Riders tier on Patreon for our 2015 revisited series, ad-free listening and more - enter code '2026' at checkout.

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