The Marc VDS Racing Team’s trio of riders – Scott Redding, Mika Kallio and Livio Loi – today concluded a successful three-day test at the Valencia circuit in Spain.
Conditions for the final day of testing were almost perfect, with the unpredictable wind and cold conditions of the first two days replaced by clear blue skies and warmer track temperatures.
Redding ended the test, the first of the new season for the Marc VDS Racing team, seventh fastest on combined times, having adapted quickly to the characteristics of the 2013 Kalex chassis.
Kallio was also satisfied with the progress made during the test, his first with the bike fitted with the additional weight required to meet the new regulations this season. The 30-year-old Finn ended the test 13th on the timesheet, but is confident that his position will improve next week in Jerez.
After struggling with set-up and gusting winds on the opening two days, Loi took advantage of today’s better conditions to improve his lap time by almost two seconds, ending his first test as a Moto3 rider inside the top fifteen.
Scott Redding #45: 7th – 1’35.293
“We’ve had a steady test, working to get a good feeling with the new bike rather than pushing for fast lap times. The important thing for me is that we have a good understanding of how the 2013 Kalex compares to last year’s version; where it’s stronger and how it reacts to set-up changes. Next week we’ll try to make a few more improvements, before working to close the gap to the top of the timesheet.”
Mika Kallio #36: 13th – 1’35.769
“We missed about 0.3s at this test compared to the race here at Valencia in November. It could be the tyres, which was also a problem during the race weekend, but we will be able to confirm this next week at Jerez. I’m happy enough, but it’s not until next week that we’ll really be able to see where we are with respect to the other riders. Valencia is a strange circuit and one that isn’t really suited to testing. It’s been good to get back out on the bike, but the real work starts next week.”
Livio Loi #11: 14th - 1’40.750
“The first two days were a bit of a struggle, as it was windy and we didn’t find a good set-up on the bike. Today we switched fork settings and the bike was transformed. I managed to match my lap time from the CEV race at Valencia in the first session and continued to improve throughout the day. With more time I’m confident I could have gone faster, but I’m happy with where I finished today. Now I’m looking forward to next week at Jerez.”
Michael Bartholemy: Team Principal
“This first test has been a good start to the new season for all three riders. Scott started where he left off last year and was immediately on the pace, while Mika adapted quickly to the additional weight he has on the bike for this season. Livio has learnt a lot these three days, both on track and off. He struggled with set-up issues the first two days but I’m happy to say, managed to work with his crew to make a big improvement ready for today. To finish his first test 14th overall is a good start to his Grand Prix career, but there’s still a lot of work left to do before he gets his season underway at Jerez in May. Now we must continue to improve during next week’s test at Jerez.”
Marc VDS Racing Press Release
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