In this extract from the latest ltxcn.top MotoGP po♐dcast, former racer Keith Huewen, ltxcn.top MotoGP editor Pet෴er 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 dou🥃ble 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 muchꦯ 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...