Marc VDS top Moto2 testing after Kalex switch
The Marc VDS Racing Team successfully concluded the final test of the 2011 season at Jerez today, with Scott Redding topping the timesheet for the third day in succession. Mika Kallio set the fifth fastest time of the three-day test, which was held in almost perfect weather conditions.
With rain causing disruptions to two previous post-season tests in Valencia, the three days at Jerez provided Redding and Kallio with their first real opportunity to work on finding a base set-up for the Kalex Moto2 bikes they will campaign in next year’s Moto2 World Championship.
Redding posted his fastest time on the first day of testing, despite crashing at the ultra-fast turn seven on his first exit from pit lane. The 18-year-old Marc VDS rider focussed mainly on refining his riding position and machine set-up on the first two days, before moving on to complete a 26-lap race simulation today.
As well as learning his way around the Kalex Moto2 machine at Jerez, Kallio also had the opportunity to work with his new crew for the first time. Like his teammate, the Finnish rider evaluated a range of different settings over the three days, as he worked with his crew to identify the best base set-up for the bike.
Redding and Kallio declared themselves happy with the progress made during the three days at Jerez and, although looking forward to a well-earned break, both are keen to resume testing again in February once the annual test ban ends.
Scott Redding #45: 1’42.9
“This has been a really positive test for us with the new Kalex bike. It’s the first time since we took delivery of the bikes that we’ve had good testing conditions and we certainly made the most of them. We’ve made some changes to my riding position, as well as making the bike quicker to turn, but I think there’s still more to come in terms of set-up. Today’s race simulation was really important, because it was the first chance for me to see how the handling is affected once the tyres started to go off. I was quite surprised with the result; there is definitely a drop off, but it’s nowhere near as steep as we experienced in the races this year, and it’s possible to maintain a pretty consistent lap time. So, overall, I’m pleased with how things have gone here at Jerez and it’s always good to leave a test as the fastest rider on track! Right now I’m looking forward to the winter break, but I know I’ll be itching to get back on track in a matter of days!”
Mika Kallio #36: 1’43.4
“The Kalex is still a new bike for us, so we are still learning a lot about how it works. Here at Jerez we tried a lot of different settings, to get a better idea about how each change affects the bike. We were lucky, as we’ve had three days of perfect weather here, which means I’ve covered a lot of laps and we’ve managed to test more or less everything that was on the plan. Of course, sometimes we pushed to make a good lap time and we were more or less where we wanted to be, especially today, when we found almost half a second with a set-up change. Our race simulation today was also good, with every one of the 26 laps was faster than my fastest lap in the race here at Jerez back in April. Overall it’s been a very positive test.”
Michael Bartholemy: Team Manager
“The riders and the team have worked hard these last three days, completing a pretty extensive testing program as we learn to get the best from the Kalex Moto2 bike. Scott posted the fastest lap of the test but, more importantly, his average over the race simulation was only a couple of tenths outside his fastest time. Mika and his new crew have worked well together here in Jerez, quickly building up a rapport that will stand them in good stead next season. Mika ended the test inside the top five on the timesheet, which is great, but it’s his consistency that has been really impressive. Overall, the test has been very positive for the Marc VDS Racing Team and a perfect way to finally bring to a close the 2011 season.”
