Simon Patterson

Simon Patterson covers MotoGP and major road racing events for The Race, focusing on the risks, culture and politics around modern motorcycle racing. He works as a freelance motorsport journalist whose primary beat is the MotoGP World Championship, producing news, analysis and long-form features and adding regular contributions in audio and on-air formats. His coverage stands out for sustained paddock immersion and a direct engagement with the safety and ethical questions that surround high-speed motorcycle competition.

MotoGP world championship and paddock coverage

Patterson’s core beat is MotoGP, where he reports on the world championship as a correspondent for The Race. His work tracks the series from event to event, offering context rooted in long-term paddock presence and first-hand observation. Earlier in his career he spent multiple seasons in the MotoGP paddock with a major motorcycle publication, then worked inside a leading team’s communications operation before returning to freelance reporting, which gives him both media and team-side perspectives on the championship.

That background feeds into his coverage of races, rider performance and championship storylines, often through analysis pieces that explain how incidents, rule changes or circuit features affect the competitive balance of the series.

His MotoGP writing frequently uses specific race incidents to illuminate wider issues within the championship.

In his column on the high-speed crash at the Red Bull Ring involving Johann Zarco, Franco Morbidelli, Valentino Rossi and Maverick Viñales, Patterson examined how the layout and run-off at the circuit contributed to the severity of the incident and argued for structural changes, moving beyond race recap into detailed scrutiny of track design and governance. He is also quoted by general news outlets as a specialist voice on MotoGP, describing how factors such as gravel traps and circuit configuration influence rider protection, which reinforces his role as a subject-matter expert rather than a generic results reporter.

Rider safety, circuits and the limits of risk

A defining thread in Patterson’s work is his focus on safety and the limits of acceptable risk in motorcycle sport. He writes and speaks about how circuit design, barriers, run-off and gravel traps can mitigate or amplify danger, using incidents from MotoGP and other events to argue for changes where he believes current standards fall short.

When discussing the Red Bull Ring crash, he did not stop at describing the incident but pressed on the need for modifications to protect riders at one of the fastest points on the circuit, framing safety as a continuous responsibility rather than a secondary consideration.

That same concern extends beyond closed-course grand prix racing to road events, where Patterson acknowledges that spectacle and tradition come with significantly higher risk. His analysis often treats safety as integral to the sport’s future, intertwining rider welfare, circuit evolution and organisational decisions, and he is sought out by broadcasters for commentary on how proposed projects or venue changes intersect with MotoGP’s safety expectations. Across these pieces, he writes with a clear technical understanding of racing lines, impact angles and protective infrastructure, which gives his arguments weight with both specialist and non-specialist audiences.

Isle of Man TT and road racing culture

Patterson’s long relationship with the Isle of Man TT adds a distinctive dimension to his portfolio. Before working full-time in MotoGP, he attended every running of the TT for years as one of the event’s official photographers, documenting a race that is both iconic and notoriously dangerous.

In his updated column on the TT, written after a tragic start to the 2026 event, he describes how he balances an enduring attachment to the race with a clear-eyed view of the risks, revisiting and refining his earlier reflections rather than treating the subject as a one-off.

That piece also reveals the depth of his commitment to the TT: Patterson breaks a long streak of 195 consecutive MotoGP races to remain on the Isle of Man for three weeks, choosing extended engagement with a single event over maintaining his run of grand prix attendance. His TT writing combines detailed knowledge of the course and its traditions with an emphasis on what participation demands from riders and families, which sets it apart from standard results-focused coverage of road racing.

The interplay between affection for the event and frank discussion of its danger reinforces the broader tension he explores across his work between heritage, spectacle and safety.

Multiplatform motorsport commentary

Alongside his written work, Patterson is a regular voice on The Race MotoGP Podcast, where he joins the host and the outlet’s MotoGP editor to dissect races, controversies and off-track developments. The podcast is billed as a place to hear everything needed from the world of MotoGP, and his role there extends his analysis beyond text into conversational, episode-based coverage.

His contributions span race debriefs, rider and team form, and wider championship politics, adding continuity for listeners who follow the series week to week.

Beyond The Race, Patterson writes for international motorsport outlets, including clients in Germany and Portugal, and appears frequently as an expert for major global broadcasters. These engagements show that his expertise travels across languages and platforms, and that he is trusted to explain MotoGP and motorcycle racing issues to broad audiences, not only to specialist readers. His earlier time in a team communications role within MotoGP gives him insight into how teams manage information and narratives, which informs the way he frames stories and controversies in both written and audio formats.

Taken together, his mix of long-term paddock reporting, deep TT involvement and multiplatform commentary defines a journalist whose work is anchored in motorcycle racing’s on-the-ground reality and the hard questions that come with it.