Toby talks to… Paul Denning, renowned Suzuki and Yamaha team boss

In the latest episode of our series of in-depth conversations with paddock people, host Toby Moody sits down for a wide-ranging chat with former Suzuki MotoGP team principal (and current team principal of the Yamaha factory World Superbike squad) Paul Denning. 

They discuss the differences between managing teams in MotoGP and World Superbikes, as well as the subtle cultural differences between the different Japanese marques Denning has worked for. 

Denning also goes in to depth on securing the iconic Rizla sponsorship, the merits of Kenny Roberts Jr and John Hopkins as riders, and why things didn’t work out for Ben Spies at Suzuki. 

He also talks at length about his star rider in WSB, Toprak Razgatlioglu, explaining what makes him so special before answering the question every fan wants to know about if and when he’ll make the switch to MotoGP.

Denning also explains what it was like to go from watching riders like Loris Capirossi on TV to becoming his boss, reveals which riders he came very close to signing to Suzuki, and reminisces on his standout moments in MotoGP, including Chris Vermeulen’s victory at Le Mans in 2007. 

• Follow The Race on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook
• Check out our latest videos on YouTube
• Download our app on iOS or Android

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices