“From his point of view - and from his team's point of view as well, his mechanics that have been with him all the way - I really hope they do well this year.
“I think Jorge is the man to beat, but we'll see.”
Perry continued: “On the British side, Cal's been terrific. An absolute revelation in the sport. So fingers crossed for him and we've got Bradley [Smith] and Michael [Laverty] arriving. It's going to be good.
“The last few years of
MotoGP have been a little bit flat. There have obviously been spikes of brilliance and genius from different riders, and different races have provided the entertainment.
“But not as much - I hate to say it - as probably the year I left. It seemed to sort of flatten after that. Nothing to do with me! I think this year will be great. I know a lot of guys in F1 watch
MotoGP so I'll be in there during the breaks to see how it's going.
“I won't try and predict the world champion, but I will predict it'll be the best season in the last few years. I also think it'll take until the first three races to see who is really going to shine.”
Despite her variety of television roles, Perry said nothing had matched the excitement of live motorsport.
“I'm relieved to get back into motorsport. I had 13 wonderful years with bikes - Superbikes, Speedway,
MotoGP - and I really did love every minute of it. It kept me feeling alive,” he said.
“The last three years felt as if I've been a bit dormant, looking back. Pre-recorded television is great, but it's not broadcasting live or live sport. And my passion is live motorsport. Two wheels or four.”
Perry will work alongside the likes of former F1 star David Coulthard and ex-F1 team owner Eddie Jordan at the
BBC this year.