Ah, take a whiff of that! You smell it? It’s that unique scent of jungle, petrol and excitement which can only mean one thing:

MotoGP is back, baby!

Now, you might wonder why we just described the above mentioned (and highly questionable) smell. But you have to understand that Mat is currently at the Chang International Circuit in Buriram, Thailand while being sick as a dog. Seriously, some vicious flu has got him down and he’s purely holding on through the strength of willpower and lozenges. The poor lad has even had to give up drinking this week! Here’s to hoping he will get through this unfortunate period of sobriety…

Luckily, there’s plenty to take the mind off things as we dive head-first into the opening race of the 2026 season. And will you look at that: it’s Aprilia and KTM dominating! What has given them an edge, and what does this mean for the rest of the season? That’s what we’re here to find out! Also, why on earth is Mat suddenly interested in the Saturday Sprint? Does he have a fever, or is there something more going on here?

Time to press that play button and find out...

Want more? Visit our website or support us on Patreon. With big thanks as always to Brad Baloo from The Next Men and Gentleman's Dub Club for writing our theme song. Check out The Nextmen for more great music!

In 1776, Adam Smith famously speculates on the concept of a free market and coins the term 'capitalism'. Then, in 2026, the organizers of MotoGP suddenly announce that Philip Island is gone from the official roster of the tournament. Coincidence? We think not!

Yes, it's the cruel, cold, capitalist culling of a great circuit and the hosts are not amused. In fact, Mat's literally sick of it and has come down with an awful flu. But just like a certain racing organization, we're a bunch of brutal bastards - so get that man in front of a mic, pronto!

And you, too, better press that play button. Because today we're discussing what it means to lose Philip Island, why this decision was made, what precedents it sets and why it's both aggravating and frightful.

And stick around, because we've got plenty of other things, too, that we need to discuss before we start racing next week. Like, what bike do we now have the highest technical expectations of? Is it possible for riders to unionize? And what is the best way to keep your temper around awful bikes? Heads up: that last one might be particularly interesting to one specific rider...can you guess who?

Please write down your guess on a piece of paper, open up a drink and press play to see if you were right...

Want more? Visit our website or support us on Patreon. With big thanks as always to Brad Baloo from The Next Men and Gentleman's Dub Club for writing our theme song. Check out The Nextmen for more great music!

Here at Oxley Bom, everyone knows that the thing we're most famous for are our 'charming' personalities. Like, we can promise we don't physically bite - but that's about the limit of what we can guarentee. So you'll understand when I say it is a great honor to have an actual returning guest to our show! Who is this dauntless fellow? Why, it's the awesome Livio Suppo!

For those not in the know (or those who haven't listened to our interview two years ago) we should probably tell you that Livio is an actual real-life legend in the pit, leading teams for Ducati, Honda and Suzuki. Oh, and he worked with some small riders like Casey Stoner and Marc Marquez. I don't know, you might have heard of them...

So get ready to hear some insights from our man on the inside – but be warned, because this week we’re taking no prisoners!

Want more? Visit our website or support us on Patreon. With big thanks as always to Brad Baloo from The Next Men and Gentleman's Dub Club for writing our theme song. Check out The Nextmen for more great music!