Redding Fastest in Day 1

May 17, 2013 By

Le Mans, France – 17 May 2013: Scott Redding wasted no time in stamping his authority on proceedings during the opening day at Le Mans, topping the timesheet in both free practice session to lay down a marker for his championship rivals.

Mika Kallio was a little disappointed to finish the day only 13th fastest, despite improving his lap time this afternoon, to close to within a second of his Marc VDS teammate. The 30-year-old Finn still lacks the all-important confidence in the front of his Kalex Moto23 machine, a situation he is confident will be rectified by set-up changes ahead of tomorrow morning’s third and final free practice session.

Jules Danilo, who is making his Moto3 Grand Prix debut as a wild card rider this weekend at Le Mans, ended the day 17th fastest overall. The French rider, who celebrates his 18th birthday tomorrow, is confident of making further improvements ahead of the all-important qualifying session.

After struggling to find confidence in the front tyre in the cold conditions of this morning’s free practice session, it was the rear that caused Livio Loi issues this afternoon. Pumping from the rear suspension under acceleration meant the 16-year-old Belgian was unable to push for a fast lap time and he ended the day 20th on the timesheet.

Scott Redding #45: 1st – 1’38.203
“I like the Le Mans circuit, so my confidence was high coming into this weekend, especially off the back of three good results at tracks that were either new or a little unkind to me in the past. I’m feeling good on the bike here; we’ve had a couple of small issues during practice, but nothing that we haven’t been able to sort out quickly. The lap times today came without really pushing hard, so I know there’s more to come in qualifying if I need it. But this is Le Mans, so who knows what the weather will throw at us tomorrow. It could be dry or it could be wet, either way I think we’re in a good way here with the bike and the set-up.”

Mika Kallio #36: 13th – 1’39.174
“We ran the set-up we tested at Almeria this morning, but it didn’t give me the feeling with the front end that I was looking for. It meant I didn’t have the confidence on corner entry and that lost me a lot of time. We made some improvements to the front for the second session, but there’s still something missing. The bike just doesn’t feel right when I trail the brake into the corners. We have a few ideas for tomorrow, but we need to sit down tonight and decide in which direction to go. I’m not so happy with 13th but with the problems we’ve had, to finish within a second of Scott’s time is not too bad.”

Jules Danilo #95: 17th – 1’46.157
“We had some problems with the bike this morning, but the team managed to get everything sorted for this afternoon’s second free practice session. I’m happy with how things have gone today, as I felt confident on the bike this afternoon and we managed to improve the lap time with every exit. We still have a few things we want to improve on the bike but, overall, it’s been a good opening day at my first ever Grand Prix.”

Livio Loi #11: 20th – 1’46.295
“The track temperature was very low this morning, so it was difficult to have confidence in the front tyre. Conditions had improved for FP2, but I had a real problem with the rear suspension pumping under acceleration. Even with a new rear tyre the bike was unsettled on the throttle and I was losing time out of every corner. We need to fix the problem tonight ready for tomorrow, as you can win a lot of time on a Moto3 bike by getting on the gas both hard and early on corner exit, which I couldn’t do today.”

More information and high resolution images are available on the Marc VDS Racing Team website at www.marcvds.com.

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Top 10 for Loi in Barcelona

April 29, 2013 By

Barcelona, Spain – 28 April 2013: The Marc VDS Racing Team’s Livio Loi overcame a qualifying crash and tricky conditions to secure a top ten finish in both of today’s CEV Moto3 races at the Circuit de Catalunya.

Fast in the dry conditions of Friday, Loi struggled to find a good set-up on his Kalex-KTM Moto3 machine when the rain arrived on Saturday. The Belgian, who celebrated his 16th birthday yesterday, crashed in the closing stages of the final qualifying session and had to start both Moto3 races from 21st position on the grid.

Despite persistent rain making conditions tricky and grip unpredictable, Loi managed to fight his way through the field to finish tenth in both of today’s 16-lap Moto3 races.

The Marc VDS rider will now head south, to the Jerez circuit in Andalucía, where he will make his debut in the Moto3 World Championship next weekend.

Livio Loi Race 1 – 10th : Race 2 – 10th
“The opening day was the only dry track time we had and I was happy with my lap times, which I was able to improve with every exit. It was wet for qualifying and we struggled to find a good wet set-up on the bike for this track. It was very different to Jerez, where I was able to run in the top five in the wet. Here the front and rear were sliding everywhere, not just on the gas or on the brakes, and I had a fast crash at the end of the long straight as a result. We hadn’t solved the problem for the first race, so tenth was the best I could do in the conditions. We made some changes for the second race, but the feeling with the bike still wasn’t there and I ended up tenth again. At times it was like riding and ice speedway bike, but without the spikes! Now I’m looking forward to Jerez, where I’ll make my world championship debut next weekend.”

Michael Bartholemy: Team Principal
“Livio makes his world championship debut next weekend in Jerez, so he was under orders not to take any risks in Barcelona. In the dry on Friday he quickly got to grips with the track and posted some impressive lap times. The rain arrived on Saturday and remained for today, with Livio struggling to find a set-up in the wet that gave him the confidence he needed to push harder. Despite this, and a crash in qualifying that left him in 21st position on the grid, he still managed two top ten finishes against stiff competition and in tricky conditions today. He’s learning all the time and this weekend was good preparation for his Grand Prix debut next weekend.”

More information and high resolution images are available on the Marc VDS Racing Team website at www.marcvds.com.

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Redding Ready to Race!

March 25, 2013 By

Scott Redding is ready to race, after successfully completing the final preseason test of 2013 at Jerez today.

Scott was able to work through his planned test schedule at Jerez, despite rain interrupting proceedings on the first full day of testing.

Scott was happy enough his lap times in both wet and dry conditions to park his Kalex Moto2 machine on Wednesday evening and sit out today’s final track sessions. The 20-year-old Briton ended the test fifth fastest and just 0.7s from the top of the timesheet.

“For once the weather was kind to us and we got some dry miles done on the bike this week,” said Scott. “We’ve got a good direction with the set-up and we haven’t had to test as much here, which allowed me to focus on just riding and building confidence on the bike. The one rainy day here at Jerez was ideal to confirm our wet weather set-up. The fact that I was fastest in the wet also helps to build confidence. We know exactly where we’re at after this test and we know what we need to do at the first race, which is all I’m focussed on right now.”

The Marc VDS Racing Team will now crate up Scott’s bike and equipment for transport to the first Grand Prix of the 2013 season, which takes place at the Losail International Circuit in Qatar on Sunday 7th April.

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Marc VDS ready to race after successful final test!

March 21, 2013 By

Jerez, Spain – 21 March 2013: The Marc VDS Racing Team are ready to race, after successfully completing the final preseason test of 2013 at Jerez today.

All three of the team’s riders – Scott Redding, Mika Kallio and Livio Loi – were able to work through their planned test schedules, despite rain interrupting proceedings on the first full day of testing.

Redding was happy enough his lap times in both wet and dry conditions to park his Kalex Moto2 machine on Wednesday evening and sit out today’s final track sessions. The 20-year-old Briton ended the test fifth fastest and just 0.7s from the top of the timesheet.

Both Kallio and Loi continued testing into this morning, but the 30-year-old Finn was unable to better his time from the first day and finished 10th on combined times. Loi was also unable to improve his time today, after the wind picked up considerably for the Moto3 session, but finished the test 21st fastest and just one second off a top ten position.

The team will now crate up the bikes and equipment for transport to the first Grand Prix of the 2013 season, which takes place at the Losail International Circuit in Qatar on Sunday 7th April.

Scott Redding #45: 5th – 1’43.372
“For once the weather was kind to us and we got some dry miles done on the bike this week. We’ve got a good direction with the set-up and we haven’t had to test as much here, which allowed me to focus on just riding and building confidence on the bike. The one rainy day here at Jerez was ideal to confirm our wet weather set-up. The fact that I was fastest in the wet also helps to build confidence. We know exactly where we’re at after this test and we know what we need to do at the first race, which is all I’m focussed on right now.”

Mika Kallio #36: 10th – 1’43.774
“The one positive we can take from this test at Jerez is that we managed to confirm that we went the right way with the settings in Albacete. The chatter that we had last year, including here in Jerez, has all but gone, so that’s a big step forward. We were hoping to do more here, but I lost the front without warning at the fast turn 12 yesterday and went down hard. I was lucky to walk away uninjured, but it effectively ended the day for me as the bike was badly damaged. The lost track time meant we didn’t get to try everything we had planned, but we already know how we need to set up the bike for the first race, so it’s not such an issue. I could have done with more time on the bike just to build more confidence, but these things happen in racing and we just have to deal with it.”

Livio Loi #11: 21st – 1’48.568
“Overall I’m pretty happy with the test. We were fast once again in the wet and we made definite improvements in the dry. Of course, I’d like to be a little bit nearer to the top of the timesheet, but racing at this level is very new for me and I need to learn to walk before I can run. I could have gone faster, a 1’47 was definitely possible, but in these conditions the chance of a crash was just too high and the last thing I need is an injury before the season has even started. There is still some work to do on our set-up in the dry, but this will come with more laps on the bike. At the moment I’m relying very much on the team when it comes to settings, but this will change once I gain more experience on the bike. It will be tough to sit out the first two GP races, because all I want to do now is race!”

Michael Bartholemy: Team Principal
“Despite the best efforts of the weather this year, we’re ready to race. Both Scott and Livio showed impressive pace in the wet and Scott backed that up with fast and consistent lap times in the dry. We know where we are with him; where we are strong and where we need to improve. Mika has also made solid progress with a very different set-up on the bike than he’s used to. I’m confident that he’d have finished higher up the order if he hadn’t lost time to a crash yesterday. What can I say about Livio; he has already exceeded our expectations in the dry but when the weather turned wet he was straight into the top five on the timesheet. He will miss the first two races because of his age, but he’ll test and race in the national championships at Le Mans and Catalunya instead, so he knows the tracks when he returns later in the season for the Grand Prix.”

More information and high resolution images are available on the Marc VDS Racing Team website at www.marcvds.com.

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Successful Testing for Redding

February 26, 2013 By

Scott Redding left this week’s weather-hit Jerez Moto2 test full of confidence after an impressive performance in wet and dry conditions.

The British rider was third quickest on the only dry day of the test and impressively fast inside the top six in wet conditions that dominated the first and opening day of the second pre-season test session.

The Marc VDS Racing rider, who is hotly fancied to mount a serious title challenge in 2013, told MCN: “It has been good to have some wet track time as well because sometimes last year I had an issue riding in the rain.

“Last year in the rain it felt like I had no grip at some tracks. It was more of a confidence thing in the early part of the race. If I could feel there was decent grip from the off I’d be comfortable and work with the bike and we have been working on improving that this week.

“We managed to test a few things to try and help with the rear grip and I’m pretty satisfied with the progress made. I always said the Valencia test was just about me settling back into it and then I wanted to get closer to the top at every test.

“It looks like (Pol) Espargaro has been on his level for a while and I’m slowly but surely cutting that gap.”

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Redding and Kallio Wrap up season!

November 16, 2012 By

Albacete, Spain – 15 November 2012: The Marc VDS Racing Team brought their 2012 Moto2 campaign to a close as they today concluded the final test of the season at the Albacete circuit in Spain.

The two-day Albacete test was run in conjunction with engineers from Kalex, with the main focus being the further development of the Kalex Moto2 machine on which Scott Redding and Mika Kallio secured five podiums this season.

The test was also the first opportunity for Livio Loi to test the Kalex-KTM he will ride for the Marc VDS Racing Team in next year’s Moto3 World Championship. The 15-year-old Belgian, whose Moto3 experience has so far been limited to the European and Spanish Championships on a standard Honda, declared himself impressed with the Kalex-KTM after improving his lap times significantly over the two days.

While the Albacete test marks the end of the season for Redding and Kallio, who are both looking forward to the winter break, Loi will contest the final round of the CEV Spanish Championship at Valencia this weekend.

The Marc VDS Racing Team will return to the track for preseason testing in February, starting at Valencia, before moving on to Jerez for the final two IRTA organised tests.

Scott Redding #45:
“We were lucky with the weather here the last two days, it wasn’t perfect but at least we got some dry testing time. We managed to test quite a few things; some worked and some we’ll need to reassess during preseason testing next year, but it’s been a positive two days overall. I’m looking forward to the break now. It’s been a long season, capped off by a race weekend and then three days of testing, so the down time will be good. It will give me time to relax, do something other than race bikes, so I can come back fresh for next season. I say that, but by January I’m usually itching to get back on the bike again and can’t wait for the season to start!”

Mika Kallio #36:
“The test day we had at Valencia was quite positive. As soon as we got back our preferred tyre we were immediately quicker and then we managed to make some set-up changes that saw me go more than a second faster than during the race weekend. It’s been interesting working with my new crew chief, Naoya Kaneko. He has a lot of experience and some good ideas and, already, we’ve found a good way of working together. Here at Albacete we started with the same settings on the bike, but this is a completely different kind of track with a lot of bumps everywhere, so first we had to adapt the bike to suit the track. Today was better, with good pace during the longer runs we did, but it was difficult to make that next step just for a few quicker laps. But, overall, the three days have been positive and I’m looking forward to improving things further when we come back to Spain to test next year.”

Livio Loi #11:
“From the first lap I felt really good on the Kalex-KTM bike, both in the dry yesterday and in the wet this morning. It’s very different from the bikes I’ve ridden previously, even the Honda Moto3 machine I raced in both the European and Spanish championships this year, so it took some getting used to. I’m happy enough with progress here at Albacete, as I managed to improve my time on every lap in both the wet and the dry. Now we head to Valencia for the final Spanish championship round. I always go full gas and it will be no different at Valencia, but now we have the Kalex-KTM I’m hoping we can run in the top five this weekend.”

Michael Bartholemy: Team Principal
“It’s been a long season, but Scott and Mika managed to complete a lot of work at Valencia and here at Albacete, despite the changeable weather conditions. With the bike we have a good direction for next season, which is always good to know going into the long winter break. Everyone in the team has worked hard this year, as always, so now we need to recharge the batteries ready for next season. Only Livio will have to wait a little longer, as he will race the final CEV round at Valencia this weekend, where we’re hoping to see him running top ten on the Kalex-KTM he tested here at Albacete.”

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Kallio Finishes Season Strong in Valencia!

November 12, 2012 By

Valencia, Spain – 11 November 2012: Mika Kallio stormed his way through the field to take a hard fought seventh place, after starting today’s Moto2 Grand Prix of Valencia from the sixth row of the grid. Scott Redding was disappointed to finish outside the points in the final race of the season, but a lack of mid-corner grip meant he was unable to fight back after a first lap collision.
Rain during the morning, followed by sporadic showers throughout the day, meant that the Moto2 race started in wet conditions, but with a dry line already starting to appear in some corners. Kallio got a good start from the sixth row of the grid, quickly picking off places in the opening laps and moving up through the field as riders crashed out of the race in the tricky and changing conditions.
The Finn, who celebrated his 30th birthday on Thursday, eventually finished seventh and was the first Kalex rider home. The result brought his points tally for the season to 128, securing him sixth place in the Moto2 World Championship standings.
Redding got a good start from the third row of the grid, but got pushed wide on the entry to turn one and then was hit by another rider going into turn two. Both incidents cost the 19-year-old Briton time, but it was a lack of mid-corner grip in the damp conditions that robbed Redding of any chance to fight his way back into the points.
The Marc VDS rider eventually finished the race in 22nd position, bringing to a close his most successful Grand Prix season to date. Redding ended fifth in the final championship standings, with four podium finishes to his name.
The Marc VDS Racing Team will return to Valencia for a one-day test tomorrow, before heading to Albacete for two further days of testing on Wednesday and Thursday. At Albacete Kallio and Redding will be joined by Livio Loi, who will contest the 2013 Moto3 World Championship for the team.
Mika Kallio #36: 7th
“I am a little disappointed with the result today, because I was expecting to be faster. I tried to push from the start to stay with the leading group, but it just wasn’t possible because I had no rear grip and the rear wheel kept coming round on me on the entry to every corner. Scott has had exactly the same problem in the wet and today it cost me any chance of ending the season with a good result. We start testing for 2013 tomorrow and, if the weather is the same as today, we need to focus on finding a solution to this problem. We’re not the only ones suffering from it either, as the results showed quite clearly today. Seventh wasn’t such a bad result given my starting position, but I expected more today.”
Scott Redding #45: 22nd
“As soon as we saw the weather we knew today was going to be tough. I got a good start, but was pushed wide in turn one and then in turn two I was hit so hard by someone that I was winded for the first two laps. We knew set up was going to be an issue in the wet; it was a little bit better than it was in Malaysia, but there was still little grip and I was struggling mid-corner. Finishing out of the points is not how I wanted to end the season, but I can take some consolation in finishing fifth in the championship, my best finish so far.”
Michael Bartholemy: Team Principal
“Mika ran a good race today, battling his way through the field in conditions that caught out many riders. I know he wanted to end the season with a better result, but given the problems he’s had with the tyres here during practice and qualifying, I think he can be satisfied with a job well done today. The same is true for Scott, who I know fancied his chances of a podium if it was dry. But, unfortunately, it was wet and he struggled with grip issues that meant he wasn’t able to come back after the turn two collision. We ended the season with Scott fifth and Mika sixth in the championship, which makes this our most successful season to date. But we are aiming higher in 2013 and we will start working towards that with the test tomorrow. We will also welcome Livio Loi to the team this week in Albacete and I’m looking forward to seeing what he can do on a Moto3 machine.”

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Top three for Redding on opening day at Valencia!

November 9, 2012 By

Valencia, Spain – 9 November 2012: Scott Redding got off to a flying start today, posting the third fastest time in the two free practice sessions, despite rain making conditions tricky on the recently resurfaced Valencia track. Mika Kallio was tenth quickest today, after finding a workable set-up only at the end of this afternoon’s second free practice session.
Redding was a little disappointed to end this morning’s fully wet practice in 12th position, but also happy that his feeling with the bike in the wet conditions has improved significantly compared to the race in Malaysia just three weeks ago.
The track remained damp for the start of this afternoon’s second free practice session, but as soon as a dry line started to appear, Redding jumped to the top of the timesheet and was only demoted to third place by fast laps from Marc Marquez and Pol Espargaro right at the end of the session when track conditions were at their best.
For Kallio this morning’s fully wet session was a difficult one, with the 30-year-old Finn struggling to find a good set up for the conditions on his Kalex Moto2 machine. Kallio was hoping to fine-tune his wet settings during this afternoon’s second session, but the appearance of a dry line put paid to that and he was forced to refocus on finding a dry set up.
Kallio was only able to start putting in fast laps on his last exit this afternoon, after switching to the second of the two rear tyre options that Dunlop has made available this weekend. The Marc VDS rider is confident of significant improvements tomorrow, after closing to within a second of the fastest lap with a less than ideal set up on the bike.
Scott Redding #45: 3rd – 1’36.348
“It was difficult once again in the wet conditions this morning, but the positive thing is that the bike did feel better than the last time we ran in the rain. There’s still some work to do with the wet set up, but I’m hoping we won’t need it again this weekend. This afternoon’s session was much better, once a dry line had started to appear around the track. You had to be a bit careful into turn one, which was still a bit damp, but the rest of the track was dry and I was able to push with some confidence. Third on the timesheet, and so close to the fastest time, is a pretty good start to the weekend, so I’m happy enough.”
Mika Kallio #36: 10th – 1’36.932
“Normally I have a good feeling with the bike in the wet, but this morning we just couldn’t seem to find a good set up. We tried a few different things with no improvement, but we stayed on the same tyres throughout the session and that could well have been the issue. This afternoon we waited until the end of the session before switching to the other tyre option, which worked a lot better for me. Unfortunately it didn’t leave me with so much time to put in a quick lap, but to finish just a second off the fastest time with a less than perfect set up gives us some confidence for tomorrow’s final free practice and qualifying sessions.”
Michael Bartholemy: Team Principal
“I think someone must have added it to the rules that mixed conditions are now mandatory for the first two free practice sessions, because it seems to have been the same at almost every race this season. Both riders seem to have a good feeling now in the dry, but we still need to work on wet set up if we get a chance which, looking at the weather forecast for this weekend, there’s a good chance we will. We will wait to see what the weather brings, but I’m confident that, if qualifying is dry, the front two rows are a realistic target for both Scott and Mika.”

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Fourth Place for Scott Redding in Phillip Island!

October 28, 2012 By

Phillip Island, Australia – 28 October 2012: Scott Redding took fourth place finish in today’s Australian Moto2 Grand Prix, but the Marc VDS rider was disappointed to miss out on a podium finish after running in second until the very final lap. Mika Kallio looked all set to claim a top five finish until he crashed out of the race on the penultimate lap after being hit by Simone Corsi.

Redding took advantage of his sixth front row of the season to get away with the leading group, but had no answer to the ultra-fast laps that eventual race winner, Pol Espargaro, put in to immediately pull a gap at the front. The 19-year-old Briton quickly got the better of Marc Marquez to take second place, a position he held until the final lap.

Anthony West managed to force his way past Marquez after bridging the gap to the battle for second place, before making a similar move on Redding to demote the Marc VDS rider to third, which quickly became fourth as Marquez, pushed his way through on the final lap. The Spaniard, who was crowned the 2012 Moto2 World Champion this afternoon, pulled such a big gap with the pass that Redding was unable to mount a challenge on the final lap and was forced to settle for fourth place at the chequered flag.

Starting from the fifth row of the grid, Kallio battled his way through the field to eventually join the battle for fifth position, but the 29-year-old Finn’s race ended in frustration when he was hit by Simone Corsi and crashed out on the penultimate lap.

The Marc VDS Racing Team now return to Europe, where they will contest the final round of the Moto2 World Championship at Valencia, which takes place from 9th – 11th November.

Scott Redding #45: 4th Position
“I’m disappointed to have finished off the podium today, because it was there for the taking. I didn’t get the best of starts, but forced my way through on the opening lap only to be held up a little by Zarco as Espargaro disappeared off into the distance. I knew I had the measure of Marquez, so put in a pass quite early, before settling down and trying to conserve the tyres. I could see Westy was catching us, but I was already on the limit and couldn’t defend the position. I thought I could hold on to third, but then Marquez came past like he had another gear and he was gone before I could even think about putting in a pass on him. Fourth is not what I was looking for here, but at least it’s moved me closer to Lüthi and Iannone in the championship.”

Mika Kallio #36: DNF
“It’s been a difficult weekend, but I thought I could at least salvage it with a decent result today. I got away well from the start and started picking up places immediately, eventually working my way up to the battle for fifth place between Aegerter and Zarco. I was pretty confident I could take fifth before the flag, as I had the pace to pass, but then Corsi ran into me and down I went with less than two laps to go. Obviously, after doing all the hard work to get into the top five, I’m disappointed to lose out so close to the end of the race because of someone else’s mistake.”

Michael Bartholemy: Team Principal
“Scott rode a good race today, but was unlucky to get caught out by West and Marquez right at the end and miss out on a podium finish. When West went past him he still looked a safe bet for third, but then Marquez seemed to find another gear and Scott simply had no answer. I know Scott is disappointed, but he rode an almost perfect race and should take heart from that as we head now to the final round at Valencia. Mika struggled in practice and qualifying but, as he’s done so often in the past, upped his level in the race. He was looking good for a top five finish, until he was hit by Corsi on the penultimate lap, couldn’t hold onto the bike and crashed out. It was a tough way to finish a race in which he’d done so much hard work. Hopefully both riders can finish the season on a high at the final round in Valencia. Congratulations to Marc Marquez on a well deserved championship win today.”

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Another Front Row Start for Redding!

October 27, 2012 By

For the sixth time this season and for the second race in succession, Scott Redding will start from the front row of the grid in tomorrow’s 25-lap Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island. Mika Kallio faces a tough race tomorrow, after qualifying on the fifth row of the grid in 14th position today.

Redding ended this morning’s final free practice session at the top of the timesheet, after bettering both the lap record and pole position record at Phillip Island with a lap time of 1’34.018, set in the final third of the 45-minute session.

The 19-year-old Briton carried the same pace into qualifying, briefly topping the timesheet before being demoted to second place by Pol Espargaro, who put in an impressive lap shortly before a rain shower arrived to disrupt proceedings. Redding looked set to challenge Espargaro’s time right at the end of the qualifying session, but lost out and had to settle for second on the grid after a near highside coming onto the Gardner straight.

Kallio struggled in free practice to find a front-end set up on his Kalex Moto2 machine that provided the confidence necessary for the Marc VDS rider to push at the ultra-fast Phillip Island circuit. Kallio’s crew made improvements to the set-up for qualifying only for the 29-year-old Finn to be held up in traffic on each of his pit exits.

Despite qualifying in 14th position, meaning he will start tomorrow’s Australian Moto2 Grand Prix from the fifth row of the grid, Kallio remains confident that with further improvements to the bike during tomorrow’s warm up he can fight for a top ten finish in the race.

Scott Redding #45: 2nd – 1’34.264
“The rain yesterday meant we were a bit short on dry track time, but we managed to make up for that today and I was fastest in the final free practice session this morning. I thought I’d be able to go quicker in qualifying, but the rain arrived just as I was building up to try and better this morning’s lap time. Espargaro has been fast and consistent all weekend, but I was really surprised when he put in such a fast lap and so early on in qualifying. He will be the man to beat tomorrow; I need to stick with him from the start and not let him get away at the front. As the race progresses we know the tyres will drop off a lot and, when that happens, I think the advantage will swing in my favour. I want a race win before the end of the season and I think I have a good chance of getting it here tomorrow.”

Mika Kallio #36: 14th – 1’35.071
“I struggled today with the front end of the bike; I just couldn’t seem to get the feedback I needed to push for a quick lap with any confidence. We made some changes that gave some improvement, but it was still a problem going into qualifying. Unfortunately I had a couple of other issues to contend with in qualifying. My ideal lap was about half a second quicker than my fastest lap, because it was difficult to string a good lap together with all the traffic. I don’t mind riders waiting for a tow, but when they do it on the racing line and make no effort to get out of the way of faster riders then it’s not only frustrating but dangerous too. We’ve had meetings about this with race direction, who promised penalties, but it was the same story today. Tomorrow I need to get a good start and then try and pick off riders as quickly as I can if I’m to leave here with a top ten finish.

Michael Bartholemy: Team Principal
“Scott has been close to the top of the timesheet all weekend here, despite the infamous Phillip Island weather disrupting three of the four sessions, including qualifying. If it’s dry tomorrow then I’m confident that Scott can race for the win. In the early stages he’ll need to stick like glue to Pol Espargaro, who has shown incredible speed and consistency here, if he is to mount a challenge as the race progresses and grip becomes more difficult to find. He’ll also need to keep a close eye on Marc Marquez, who I’m sure will be keen to seal the world championship with a win tomorrow. Mika struggled today, both with a lack of confidence in the front end of the bike and with traffic in qualifying. It will be difficult for him tomorrow, but we’ve seen him fight his way through from the fifth row before and I’m confident he can secure a top ten finish tomorrow.”

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