The Marc VDS Racing Team head across the Atlantic this week, for the second round of the FIM Moto2 World Championship at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.
It’s the first time the Circuit of Americas has featured on the Moto2 calendar, but learning the track is not a concern for Scott Redding, who is keen to continue the run of form that saw him finish on the podium in the opening round of the season in Qatar just over one week ago.
Mika Kallio left Qatar disappointed with fifth place in Qatar, as the 30-year-old Finn was convinced a podium finish was on the cards after qualifying on the front row of the grid. Kallio lost ground in the early stages of the race as a result of some over enthusiastic overtaking moves by others, a situation he is keen to avoid this weekend in Texas
Circuit of the Americas was completed in 2012 and is the first purpose built Grand Prix track in the United States. The track, which features a change in elevation of almost 41 metres and a unique incline at the end of the front straight, was designed by Hermann Tilke with input from the 1993 500GP World Champion, Kevin Schwantz.
At 5.513km in length the circuit comprises 11 left and nine right corners, many of which mirror famous sections of iconic racetracks from around the world.
Scott Redding #45:
“Second in Qatar was a good start to the season, but we need to carry that momentum into the next outing in Texas. It’s a new track for everyone, which will be interesting, but I’m sure it won’t take any of us long to get up to speed. I’ve never had a problem learning new tracks and I’m looking forward to seeing what the Circuit of the Americas has to offer. If we approach this race in the same way as we did the last then I think there’s every chance we can repeat the success of Qatar in America. That’s the goal, anyway.”
Mika Kallio #36:
“It was good to get a top five finish in the first race of the season in Qatar, despite some issues with the engine. I didn’t seem to have the acceleration or top speed of the people I was racing against. Other than that the bike worked well in Qatar and, although Circuit of the Americas is a brand new track for us, I’m pretty confident we won’t have to make any big changes to get the bike working equally well there. New circuits have always been quite good for me in the past, so I hope Circuit of the Americas will be the same. It will still take some learning, but I think we’ll be pretty much up to speed on the first day if we can get plenty of laps done in the first two practice sessions.”
Michael Bartholemy: Team Principal
“We got the season off to a flying start in Qatar, with Scott on the podium and Mika finishing top five, but now we need to build on that in Texas with two more strong results. Both riders showed last weekend that they are capable of qualifying and racing at the front and, although Circuit of the Americas is a track at which we have no previous experience, I can see no reason why Scott and Mika shouldn’t do the same again this weekend. Two more good results in Texas would put us in a strong position when we return to Europe at the end of the month for the Jerez race.”
Marc VDS Racing Team Press Release
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