The Paddock Pass Podcast is back for 2025 and we’re kicking off our WorldSBK coverage with a look at what we’re excited by for the coming season. Once again this year Steve English, Gordon Ritchie and Speedweek.com’s Ivo Schutzbach are our boots on the ground for the Superbike World Championship and they’re ready to report on another campaign. For Episode 460 we’re looking at the topics that are interesting us the most ahead of the new season.

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On December 31st, 2024, Lin Jarvis stepped down as Managing Director of Yamaha Motor Racing, the organization that runs Yamaha's MotoGP project. In the 26 years that Jarvis has been in charge, Yamaha have known incredible success. Eight rider titles, with Valentino Rossi, Jorge Lorenzo, and Fabio Quartararo, as well as six manufacturer and seven team titles. Under Jarvis, Yamaha won the triple crown five times, in 2005, 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2015.

You can read the first and second parts of my marathon interview with Jarvis here (part 1) and here (part 2). In the final part, he talks about Valentino Rossi's return to Yamaha after leaving for Ducati in 2011 and 2012. He explains the delicate balancing act that required, which the fallout of the 2015 season nearly upended. And he talks about the riders who came after, including Maverick Viñales and Fabio Quartararo, and the process of identifying talent.

Jarvis also talks about how Nicky Hayden got away from Yamaha, and the project he launched to turn Yamaha's failing fortunes around.

The Prodigal Son Returns

• Read more about EXCLUSIVE: Lin Jarvis Interview - Part 3, Rossi vs Lorenzo Round 2, Nearly Signing Nicky Hayden, And Looking To The Future
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On December 31st, 2024, Lin Jarvis stepped down as Managing Director of Yamaha Motor Racing, the organization that runs Yamaha's MotoGP project. In the 26 years that Jarvis has been in charge, Yamaha have known incredible success. Eight rider titles, with Valentino Rossi, Jorge Lorenzo, and Fabio Quartararo, as well as six manufacturer and seven team titles. Under Jarvis, Yamaha won the triple crown five times, in 2005, 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2015.

You can read the first part of this marathon interview with Jarvis here. In the second part, we talked about how he signed Valentino Rossi, and how Rossi saved Yamaha's MotoGP project. Jarvis also talks about the gamble Yamaha took signing Jorge Lorenzo when it looked like Valentino Rossi might go off and race in F1, the difficulty of managing that situation, and the backlash he faced in Italy for doing so.

The Rossi years

Q: First came the switch from 500s to four-strokes. Was it still Max Biaggi who left and Valentino came?

• Read more about EXCLUSIVE: Lin Jarvis Interview - Part 2, Signing Valentino, And Rossi vs Lorenzo Round 1
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On December 31st, 2024, Lin Jarvis stepped down as Managing Director of Yamaha Motor Racing, the organization that runs Yamaha's MotoGP project. In the 26 years that Jarvis has been in charge, Yamaha have known incredible success. Eight rider titles, with Valentino Rossi, Jorge Lorenzo, and Fabio Quartararo, as well as six manufacturer and seven team titles. Under Jarvis, Yamaha won the triple crown five times, in 2005, 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2015.

Jarvis has managed some of the biggest names in the sport, including Max Biaggi, Carlos Checa, Valentino Rossi, Jorge Lorenzo, Ben Spies, and Fabio Quartararo. He has seen the highest highs and sometimes, the lowest lows. And after a difficult couple of seasons, he leaves Yamaha as they are rebuilding for the future.

It has been a very long and storied career. At the second Misano round last year, I sat down to take a long look back at his career with Lin Jarvis. He spoke at length about how he got interested in motorcycles, how he ended up running Yamaha's MotoGP project, and more. Jarvis talked about dealing with Max Biaggi, managing Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi, and how difficult managing the fallout of 2015 was. Plus, he talks about missing out on Casey Stoner and Nicky Hayden.

The entire interview is to be published over the next three days. In the first part of the interview, Jarvis talks about how he got started, losing all his possessions in Rome, suffering burnout from pushing himself too hard, and managing Max Biaggi and Carlos Checa.

In The Beginning

Q: First of all, why motorcycles? How did you end up being involved in motorbikes?

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Happy 2025! With the motorcycle racing year warming up, here's a round up of some of the more significant things to happen over the holiday break. There were more developments around KTM, the sad passing of former WCM owner Bob MacLean, and riders have been speaking to the press.

KTM - EGM convened, control to be ceded?

• Read more about Editor's Blog: Happy New Year, KTM Issues Bonds, RIP Bob MacLean, Economic Impact of Assen
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As the KTM saga rumbles on, it churns up an incredible amount of speculation and rumor in its wake. And as sure as bears performing their ablutions in the outdoors, the name of BMW pops up as a potential candidate to take over KTM's spot on the MotoGP grid.

I realize I am offering a giant hostage to fortune here, but I can confidently predict this will not happen. I have already written two pieces this year explaining why I do not believe BMW will enter MotoGP, but KTM's insolvency means more people asking me whether BMW are set to take their place. The answer, I still believe, is no.

The good news

But first, a quick update on the situation around KTM. Gerald Dirnbeck at Motorsport-Total quotes Austrian newspaper Der Standard, who have a report on the latest developments.

The good news for the people working at KTM is that their December salaries will be paid as promised. The good news for the company is that the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), in a report commission by KTM for their insolvency proceedings, sees plenty of potential for KTM's motorcycle manufacturing arm. They report that they expect to see annual growth of more than 10% in what they describe as KTM's 'core markets', and stable growth of 3.5% in the off-road segment, where KTM is the undisputed market leader with a market share of between 40% and 60%.

• Read more about OPINION: Once More With Gusto - No, BMW Aren't Going To Race In MotoGP
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