MotoGP Mugello Monster Yamaha Tech3 Preview

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Rookie Pol Espargaro will look to build on his superbly executed result of 4th position at the team’s home GP of Le Mans by continuing his learning process on a MotoGP bike at Mugello. Whilst Bradley Smith, who holds the track in high regard, will look to add to his history of convincing results at the famous Tuscan track a battle inside the top five.

   

Pol Espargaro

“I am excited to ride at Mugello which is a track I thoroughly enjoy and one that will suit the Yamaha YZR-M1 favourably due to it’s sweeping and fast flowing corners. However it looks like it will rain during the weekend which could be tricky as I have not ridden in the wet on a MotoGP bike before.  Yet as always I will aim to learn as much as possible especially in the damp conditions and will focus on getting a strong setup so that I can be as prepared as possible for the race at this technical and demanding circuit. I qualified on pole here in Moto2 in 2012 plus scored 3 podiums in the 125 and Moto2 classes so I look forward to building on my experience.” 

Bradley Smith

“After a tricky race at Le Mans I am ready and excited for Mugello which is one of my favourite tracks. I really like the nature of the circuit plus Yamaha is the most successful MotoGP manufacturer at this track so we must feel confident. I won from pole position in 2009 in the 125 class and also qualified on the front row before clinching 3rd in 2011 on the Tech3 Moto2 bike, so I know I can ride well here. We’ll have to take it step by step as it could rain, but I aim to get a solid setup sorted on Friday so that I can get a top 6 qualifying position in preparation for the 23-lap race on Sunday. The crowd is always amazing, also the track is fantastic so I am ready to fight for success.”

Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Press Release

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MotoGP Le Mans Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Preview

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Monster Yamaha Tech3 riders Bradley Smith and Pol Espargaro are aiming to fly high this weekend at the team's hugely anticipated home race, in the Monster Energy Grand Prix de France, for round 5 of the 2014 MotoGP World Championship.

After a successful and confidence affirming post Jerez test, Smith and Espargaro will build on their positive results so far this season and put their newly acquired knowledge from the test to use in the 28-lap sprint at the 4185 metre Le Mans circuit, one of the most historically significant motorsport tracks.

Bradley Smith's notable start to the season has seen him flirt with the accolade of the leading satellite bike in the opening races, and he will be looking to break the top five in Le Mans. Whereas rookie Pol Espargaro will continue his rocket start to his MotoGP career and intends to collect his fourth top ten finish, as he consistently battles against established riders in the top half of the field.

   

Pol Espargaro   

“I am looking forward to the Grand Prix de France and doing my best for the Tech3 team in their home country. I won the race here in 2010 in the 125 class, and have always enjoyed the circuit. I am still learning step by step, but am feeling really confident, especially after testing a few things on the bike in the test after the Jerez race. I feel very optimistic in achieving a good result in front of the team's fans and am excited to see what I can do aboard the Yamaha YZR-M1 around the famous Le Mans circuit.”

Bradley Smith   

"After a quite satisfying start to the year in terms of results, I am fully confident of battling for a positive finish at the team's home Grand Prix. We had a useful post race test in Jerez and found some valuable information, which will aid my riding and setup. I rode to my first ever podium here in the 125 class in 2007, so Le Mans holds some good memories for me and I intend to create some more here this round. It's a really technical and demanding track,however I enjoy a lot riding here and even if there is still a little work to be done, I am certain to put on a good show for the team this weekend.”

Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Press Release

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Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Preview Jerez MotoGP

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The Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team jet straight from Argentina to Andalucía, southern Spain for round 4 of the 2014 MotoGP World Championship at the Circuito de Jerez De La Frontera.
With not even a week separating the two Grand Prix events, Bradley Smith and Pol Espargaro will be once again back on track at the 4423 metre clockwise circuit, which is rich in motorsport history. Both Tech3 riders have had previous success here during the past years, as they seek to continue their positive work done so far this season with the French MotoGP team.

Bradley Smith intends to raise the bar this weekend as the series begins its European run of events. After another pleasing finish, the British rider’s optimism is high as he hopes to up the pace and assert himself as the leading satellite bike under the Andulacian sun.

Whilst, Spaniard Pol Espargaro will perform in front of his home country’s fans with the aim to put on a great show, as the 22 year old Catalan continues to gather pace and experience after a positive and notable beginning to his rookie campaign in the premier class.
 
Bradley Smith - #38:
“After what has been a great couple of weeks travelling from one continent to the next, it will be nice to get back to Europe, and to Jerez which is a circuit I, and the Yamaha favour. I scored my first Pole position here in 2008, and then won the race in 2009 in the 125 class, which are nice memories. For this year there’s a little work that needs to be undertaken on the bike, but I have full confidence that we will continue our steady improvements, and the team as well as Yamaha are doing a great job so far. However, the result from the last race was not where I would like to be, and I am determined to close the gap to the bikes in front of me, and who knows, possibly be in the hunt for a podium.”

Pol Espargaro - #44:
“It may seem like a bit of a squeeze, but I am really happy that I get to go back out on my Yamaha YZR-M1 MotoGP bike again in such a short space of time after the last race. I enjoy Jerez and I have had some great results here in the past, including my first World Championship win in 125cc, so this weekend I aim to please the fans, get a good qualifying, a great start and then see what happens. It will be really nice to race in my home country for the first time on a MotoGP bike, which will give me a boost and make me ride even harder. I can’t wait to get it started."

Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Press Release

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Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Review Argentina MotoGP Race

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Both Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team’s riders finished Argentina’s first MotoGP race after 15 years with strong performances today at the Circuito Termas de Rio Hondo. In front of 125,000 ecstatic fans who had flocked to the sun drenched Argentinian track over the weekend, Bradley Smith and Pol Espargaro did not lack in determination and ended the race in 7th and 8th position respectively.

Bradley Smith, who started from 7th on the grid but slightly dropped back to 9th in the opening laps at the 4,806 meter circuit, regained his composure and proceeded to recover the lost ground fantastically well, with his excellent race pace shining through once again. On lap six, the British rider overtook his teammate to clinch 8th position before firmly setting his sights on the position in front. Smith made an incredible charge to close the gap to the Factory Ducati rider of Andrea Dovizioso, gaining valuable time every single lap and gracefully passing him. As the fuel load decreased on his Yamaha YZR-M1, his speed boosted and the 23 year old set his personal best and fifth quickest lap of the race at the final stages, on lap 20. Today’s result sees Smith confident of a top result at round 4 in Jerez as the MotoGP paddock returns to Europe next week.

Rookie Pol Espargaro rode a notable race to collect his second top eight finish in succession at the fast flowing Argentinian Grand Prix. After having ran competitively during the free practice sessions, the Spanish rider qualified in 11th position, but rocketed up to 8th aboard his Yamaha YZR-M1 on the first lap. The reigning Moto2 World Champion then set a rapid pace and battled with teammate Bradley Smith for the first part of the race. Later on, he caught Factory Ducati rider Andrea Dovizioso, passing him on lap 19. The 22 year old Catalan eventually completed the race in a confidence boosting 8th position, with high hopes for the next round at Jerez in his home country’s Grand Prix, after gaining more valuable experience.

Bradley Smith - Race : 7th - Championship : 9th - 20 Points :

“It was a tough challenge today, but overall I am pleased to once again finish with a decent position. Unfortunately, my start was not ideal and the race was actually a similar scenario to Austin. My pace at the end was exactly where it needed to be, as I started to do low 1:40 laps, but as usual I struggled during the first half of the race when the bike is on a full fuel load. It happens on different race tracks, with various setups and on all types of tyre, so it seems that I have to find a way to adapt better. I just can’t ride with the same corner speed and I’m not as smooth as I am at the end of the race. But we already have some ideas and will work on it in Jerez as I know I am there in terms of performance. Altogether the team and I are doing a really good job, but we just need to find that missing piece for Jerez, where we can hopefully make amends and can challenge as the leading satellite MotoGP bike which is the main aim at the moment.”

Pol Espargaro - Race : 8th - Championship : 10th - 18 Points :

“Of course, it was not a bad race at all, but 8th position is not what I’m aiming for. Especially because I had a really good feeling and a positive rhythm this morning in warm up. However, for some reason I didn’t feel the same at the beginning of the race, possibly because of the full fuel tank so it was a bit harder to manoeuvre the bike around the high speed corners. As a result, the start and the opening laps were difficult for me and after just a few rounds I was already alone. Later on I tried to stay with Bradley, but he was getting stronger and I did not feel too confident with my rear tyre, so I decided not to push any harder and risk crashing out. The positive we can take from today is that we have been getting stronger towards the end of the race, and closing in on the riders in front. It is still a big learning process, but we have to be patient, taking it race by race and continue working. Luckily in just a few days of time I will already be back on the bike, trying to fight with the other satellite bikes and aiming for a better result.“

Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Press Release

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Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Review Argentina MotoGP Day 2

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Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team’s Bradley Smith confirmed his status as the ‘one to watch’ for this season, by pulling off another positive qualifying performance. He cemented his 7th place on the grid for tomorrow’s inaugural race at the fast flowing 4806 metre Termas de Rio Hondo circuit in northern Argentina.

Smith focused on fine-tuning the race setup during the FP3 session, and evaluated which front and rear tyre compound would be the best for tomorrow's race, considering the ever improving track conditions. The Monster Yamaha Tech3 rider showed complete resilience and sailed easily through from Qualifying 1 to Qualifying 2, even setting his best Q1 time on used tyres. He later confessed that the 15 minutes of extra track time had been an advantage as the young British rider rode his Yamaha YZR-M1 with agility around the meandering circuit and a best time of 1:38.958 which was less than a hundredth of a second behind multiple world champion, and Factory Yamaha rider Valentino Rossi. Tomorrow Smith will once again aim to challenge for a top 5 position, and battle with the Factory MotoGP bikes.

Pol Espargaro ran immediately at pace at the Circuito Termas de Rio Hondo, and displayed his persistent efforts and hard work today. The reigning Moto2 World champion walked away from a fall at the final turn in FP3, and was unhurt aside from a minor finger injury, but still qualified straight through to Q2. During Qualifying 2, the MotoGP rookie rode courageously to set a best lap of 1:40.407, and is confident of fighting for his second top ten points scoring finish in succession.

   

Bradley Smith: 7th: 1:38.958:

“I am really pleased with 7th position going into tomorrow’s race. Participating in Qualifying 1 wasn’t part of the plan, but during FP3 I was concentrating on doing long runs with used tyres to make the best choice for tomorrow’s race. But in the end, it even helped us, as the extra track time enabled us to test a few more setting changes. This was especially beneficial as the bike was struggling a bit in the braking areas, which we managed to amend. I was able to go quicker on a used hard tyre during Qualifying 1 and then could further lower my lap time on the soft in Q2. Still, things could have gone better, because I knew the track was improving but I made a small error on my first flying lap on the soft, so the tyre’s grip dropped. If this didn’t occur, maybe I would have had a chance at the second row. It will be tough tomorrow as the track is evolving all the time. I think we need to race with the hard rear tyre as it will be the most consistent. My aim is to get a good start and try to remain with the Factory Yamahas.”

Pol Espargaro: 11th: 1:40.407:

“Honestly I am quite disappointed with my qualifying result of 11th, but I still feel confident of achieving a good result tomorrow as my rhythm was competitive during all the other sessions and I really felt comfortable on the bike. After the crash this morning, I felt a little bit confused but beside a small injury on my finger I was lucky to getaway unhurt and it will not be a problem for tomorrow. This afternoon I decided to try the hard tyre to improve my lap time in qualifying but this was the wrong choice. I felt stronger on it the whole weekend, but the changing grip level and higher temperatures did not put me in the best conditions to get the maximum out of my bike. We still have to try a few things during the warm up, and also the final tyre decision has to be made. In any case I will give it my all during the race, and with a good start I’m convinced I can battle with the other satellite riders.”

Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Press Release

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Monster Yamaha Tech3 Review Argentina MotoGP Day 1

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The MotoGP World Championship returned to Argentina this morning after a 15 year absence, at the new and exciting Circuito of Termas de Rio Hondo in the north of the country, and over 1,000 kilometres outside of the capital Buenos Aires. Action finally began on track after a brief delay, with both Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team riders immediately competing at a rapid pace.

As the new circuit had not hosted any previous major sporting action before the MotoGP World Championship round, the track conditions were far from ideal at the beginning of the day, but improved as the day progressed.

Bradley Smith enjoyed a fantastic start today finishing as the leading Yamaha in 6th as he continued to demonstrate his determination for this season, and how much of a quick learner his is. The British rider easily accustomed himself to the challenging circuit and established a solid working base setup. The 23 year-old also explored both varieties of tyre compounds, at the new fast flowing track which features a straight of over 1 kilometre.  He notched up a top time of 1:41.303 at the final stages of this afternoons session, which puts him in a good position to show another strong qualifying performance tomorrow while preparing for Sunday’s race which lasts 25 laps.

Rookie Pol Espargaro completed today with impressive speed, as he rode to 7th position in the combined times. With the fast, wavering corners of the circuit favouring the agile Yamaha YZR-M1, the Spanish rider notably spent the majority of both of todays free practice sessions within the top five, and proceeded to gather as much information as possible at the 4,806 metre track for qualifying tomorrow. The reigning Moto2 World Champion improved his FP1 time by two and a half seconds to finish with a best lap of 1:41.368, ahead of multiple World Champions Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi. 

 

Bradley Smith - 6th - 1:41.303

“In general, I am happy with the first day of practice here in Argentina, especially as I finished as the leading Yamaha. The circuit is as nice as it seemed to be and it was not different from my expectations, with my favourite part being the last corner. It feels like riding Supermotard back at Colin’s Ranch, it’s just amazing! The main point of today was to learn the circuit, and to establish a base setup which we achieved, and I feel confident with. I am still not sure on the choice of tyre, but tomorrow I will ride on both varieties in order to decide which one to use when the track surface will be cleaner. We will continue to look at modifying the setup in tomorrows session, as we need to improve the race pace a bit more. However, I'm confident that we are in a good position to qualify well and fight for a strong result on race day”. 

Pol Espargaro - 7th -1:41.368 

“Today was positive for me, and my impressions of the new circuit here in Argentina were good - it’s different to the other tracks we visit, which makes it more entertaining to ride.The layout is really nice, it is technical with long, fast and blind corners. My favourite part is probably T4 where you have to change direction quickly, and also the last corner. Actually, my pace in this sector was also strong, but I have to improve the first one where I was losing time and we will work to develop this area tonight. Another aspect where we still have some margin to refine is the front setup of the bike, but the feelings are positive especially because I have been competitive straight away this morning.

Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Press Release

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Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Preview Argentina MotoGP

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This week Bradley Smith and Pol Espargaro head to Argentina aiming to build on their positive form shown so far this season, at the exciting new Termas de Rio Hondo circuit, for round 3 of the 2014 MotoGP World Championship.

After an absence of fifteen years, the MotoGP paddock returns to Argentina at the fast and meandering Circuito Termas de Rio Hondo, located in the province of Santiago del Estero, which hosts its inaugural MotoGP event. The young line up of the Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team will compete on the 4,806 metre circuit, which features a long back straight of just over 1 kilometre in length, with five left corners and nine right. The riders will once again try to prove themselves as the top satellite bikes, and battle for World Championship points in the 25 lap race on Sunday.

Britain’s Bradley Smith aims to continue his confident start to the season and assert himself as the leading satellite MotoGP bike in Argentina, having finished with a personal best position of 5th in Texas. Whereas rookie Pol Espargaro, will extend his knowledge of the Yamaha YZR-M1 and attempt to challenge inside the top ten again on Sunday having clinched his first ever MotoGP points last race with an expertly executed ride to 6th position.  

Bradley Smith:

“For sure it will be very exciting for all of us to return to Argentina after so many years. The fans there have so much passion and I am truly looking forward to the race on this brand new circuit of Termas de Rio Hondo. All the facilities are partly still under construction, so it's a big step into the unknown. After my best ever result, and finishing as the leading Yamaha in Texas, I am determined to carry on this positive display. The Yamaha feels great and I am pleased with my performance over race distance, so for sure with a big team effort we will be able to get a competitive result in Argentina this weekend”.

Pol Espargaro:

"To discover a new race track is always very fascinating and I’m convinced that this event will be a very stimulating one. It will be an equal playing field for all of the riders. The layout looks really interesting, with lots of fast flowing corners, and I cannot wait to start riding on Friday. Especially after the good result in Texas, where I not only scored my first MotoGP points, but also finished 6th and as the second Yamaha behind my teammate, I’m really optimistic for this race. My pace over race distance was positive, and I feel more content about the feeling with my Yamaha”.

Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Press Release

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Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Review Austin MotoGP Race

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The Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team riders today finished round 2 of the MotoGP World Championship in a highly determined manner, with both riders achieving their best ever results in the premier class. Bradley Smith finished in 5th position after narrowly missing out on a debut podium, with rookie Pol Espargaro crossing the line in 6th to claim his first MotoGP points and as the quickest rookie. Despite the threat of rain, the race remained uninterrupted and dry in Austin, Texas. 

Bradley Smith delivered a fierce campaign to challenge for a podium position, before guiding his Yamaha YZR-M1 home in what was his best ever MotoGP result. After having qualified in 8th, the British rider dropped back a place during the first lap, but soon set into a smooth rhythm and proceeded to move up the field, progressing up to 7th a few laps later. He then closed in on the Factory Yamaha of Valentino Rossi before passing him quickly. On lap 14 the young British rider overtook his teammate and swiftly caught the 5th placed rider three laps later, before hunting down the remaining competitors to challenge for the final podium position. Smith rode tirelessly to reach them, and then exchanged forceful moves with Stefan Bradl right down to the chequered flag fighting for 4th position. Even though the battle didn’t come to a lucky end, on what was once again a difficult racetrack for all the Yamaha bikes, Smith brilliantly showed his progression, finishing as the top Yamaha on the timesheets.

Rookie Pol Espargaro successfully clinched his maiden points scoring finish today at COTA, and completed the race as the fastest rookie by finishing in a highly impressive 6th position. The Reigning Moto2 World Champion had a positive start, and moved forward to 10th on the first lap. Espargaro skilfully forged ahead and continued to battle remaining with teammate Bradley Smith as they moved up the field. On lap ten, the Spanish rookie brilliantly overtook multiple world champion Valentino Rossi. Espargaro finally completed his impressive point scoring race by taking 6th place on the final lap.

Bradley Smith – 5th - 11 points :

“I am very pleased with my performance during the 21 laps with this being the most physical track on the calendar in my opinion. I made it hard work for myself. It’s difficult to get a perfect setting around here as there are so many different corners, and it is impossible to make one setting which suits all of them. You have to make the best compromise. I was a bit too aggressive during the first laps, and overheated my brakes and the front tyre got really warm. So rather than risking anything, I let them recover, which took me 3 or 4 laps. I saw Pol come past me and then Valentino getting away, so I just had to take a breath. Once the tyres had stabilised, I started moving forward. I then thought either the bike is going to come to me or I am just going to have to sit where I am. With 12 laps to go, I realised that I had a chance and put my head down. I got to Bradl and gave everything I could, and when I reached those left right left corners, where I tried to go underneath him, my heart rate just went through the roof. I put all my cards on the table, as I knew that Dovizioso was edging away, but I am still really pleased to be the top Yamaha”.

Pol Espargaro - 6th – 10 points :

“I’m truly happy with today’s result; to finish my first MotoGP race in sixth position and in front of the Factory Yamahas makes me quite proud. I knew that I had to push as much as possible at the beginning, as I didn’t want to lose contact with the guys in front of me. I probably pushed a little too much and I could not keep the rhythm until the end of the race. But I’m happy that I was able to battle with my teammate during a certain stage of the race because Bradley is going really fast this season. Being the second Yamaha means we have not done a bad job at all. The biggest problem during the race has been the front tyre and I think all of the Yamaha’s struggled with it. We knew already from last year’s race that it would not have been an easy track for our bike. I can physically feel that it has been a very demanding race, the MotoGP bikes are exhausting. I have some pain in my shoulder because of the high number of left corners and especially during braking towards the end of the race. The team did a great job and I’m really giving it my all to learn and improve as quickly as possible. I’m already looking forward to the next round in Argentina in a couple of weeks”.

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Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Review Austin MotoGP Day 2

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The Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team’s riders produced another strong-minded display in qualifying today and will begin the Circuit of the Americas Grand Prix with Bradley Smith in 8th and Pol Espargaro in 11th position for the second round of the MotoGP World Championship. Both riders moved straight into the qualifying practice2 as they made further steps forward after a challenging start in yesterday’s opening sessions.

Bradley Smith produced another sterling display at the long and twisting Texan track with the Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team. Despite the complexity of the Circuit of the Americas, Smith continued his encouraging performance and leapt forward to 5th in FP3, as he was the quickest of all the Yamaha MotoGP riders. During QP2, he knocked off another two hundredth of a second from his FP3 time, but ultimately finished in 8th place, only half of a second behind the Factory Yamaha of Jorge Lorenzo. His fastest time was also a colossal improvement from last year’s best qualifying time, by almost three seconds. The young British rider’s performances so far this year confirm his determination to be the leading satellite bike, as he aims to fight for a top 5 finish in the 21 lap race tomorrow.

Rookie Pol Espargaro completed a successful run to qualify 11th for tomorrow’s Grand Prix, and only just over a second from the leading time in his second race appearance on a MotoGP bike. After overcoming the difficulty of learning the 2013 Bridgestone tyres, which he had previously not competed on, the reigning Moto2 World Champion advanced straight into QP2 with a strong 9th place in FP3, ahead of the Factory Yamaha of Valentino Rossi. Signs of progression were evident, as his best lap of 2:03.913 set in QP2, was his fastest of the weekend by 2.7 seconds compared to yesterday’s opening session, and only a tenth away from 7th place. However confidence is high for the 22 year old to gain a positive result tomorrow and score his inaugural points in the MotoGP World Championship as some of the riders in front of him were running soft tyres today, which will not be sustainable for tomorrow’s race distance.

   

Bradley Smith - 8th - 2:03.800:

“In general, I am quite satisfied with 8th poshave improved by 1.6 seconds from yesterday, which is positive and also a huge leap compared to the qualifying time from last year. I set a good lap time in FP3 which I was then able to better by two tenths later on in QP2. Unfortunately, I made a mistake in the last sector during my fastest lap which cost me around 3 tenths,  and I would have been only 0.2 seconds from the Factory Yamaha bikes if this hadn’t occurred, which is an acceptable gap. So now we need to analyse the information, see where we can improve furthermore and make another step during tomorrow’s warm up. Anyway, I am really looking forward to the race where I will focus on getting a good start, and being as aggressive as possible to get into the top five at the first corner. No doubt, it will be a tough GP with plenty of overtaking, so I have to be prepared to pass other riders and keep a good lap time for all 21 laps.  

Pol Espargaro - 11th - 2:03.913:

“Overall, I am pretty happy as I went straight into QP2, which shows a big improvement since Qatar. On the other hand I am a little disappointed with 11th, as I was near the top guys, and only one tenth of a second off 7th place. If I had not made some small mistakes on the second run with the new tyre, I know I could have gone faster. The bike felt good, although I did experience some issues with the front end of the bike and also with the wheeling which we tried to fix, and will continue to resolve tomorrow. Also, I needed to relearn the track on a MotoGP bike, which is difficult as I must be smoother. Jorge and Valentino are able to be so quick as they ride in this manner, and this is what I need to improve. I feel positive for the race, as the riders in front of me, rode with a soft tyre today, which gives me an advantage as they can’t use it tomorrow. I need a good start, and it will be a tough battle but I am confident that I can overtake and get a good result.”

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Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Review Austin MotoGP Day 1

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Bradley Smith and Pol Espargaro finished today’s free practice sessions in optimistic spirits at the Circuit of the Americas in Texas for the second round of the MotoGP World Championship.

Both riders lowered their lap times from the first free practice session by a full second with the conditions being sunny and dry, at the state of the art track, which features the longest straight of a circuit on the Grand Prix calendar.

Bradley Smith relentlessly amassed a total of 36 laps of the Texan circuit across both of today’s sessions to finish in 10th place in the combined times. In his second appearance aboard the Yamaha YZR-M1 in Texas, Smith posted a best time of 2:05.366 which means that he has already lapped faster than last year, with a gap of just over half a second to the fastest Factory Yamaha of Valentino Rossi. After having spent the first day evaluating all of the possible tyre options and setting his fastest time on the harder one, the young British rider remains confident of a top 6 result in tomorrow’s qualifying session.

Rookie Pol Espargaro proceeded to collected valuable data today as he refined the setup of his Yamaha YZR-M1 MotoGP bike, whilst also sampling the 2013 Bridgestone tyres for the first time ever at the challenging Circuit of the Americas. The reigning Moto2 World Champion finished in 12th position with a best time of 2:05.672 and just over half a second from Factory Yamaha’s Jorge Lorenzo. The Spanish rider who is aiming for a top 10 finish in the race event on Sunday, is now back to full health following his collarbone injury, and completed 31 laps around the 5.513 kilometre circuit.   

Bradley Smith - 10th - 2:05.366:

“The biggest positive of today is that I am riding faster and more confident on the track compared to last year. I feel great with the bike especially in sector 1 and 3, but I still need to improve in the second part of the circuit as well as in the last one. This afternoon we were able to test both tyre solutions, the medium one as well as the hard one. With the hard tyre I feel really good and I also did my fastest lap with it. However, as the weather may change we will have to choose the tyre accordingly for the rest of the weekend, but we are in a good position to make the right decision.  Overall, today was useful as we collected very valuable data and we know how to go quicker, which will hopefully be by another second.”

Pol Espargaro - 12th - 2:05.672:

“Today has been a tricky day and a big challenge for me. There was a lot to learn and this track is really difficult. If you make a slight mistake with the line at the beginning of the second corner, you finish completely off line at the end of the corner sequence.  Also using the 2013 Bridgestone tyre for the first time did not make things easy. That’s why I think I am pushing a bit too much, I definitely want to ride smoother because it’s the only way to be fast with the Yamaha. So I just need to relax more on the bike, and continue to work with my team  and for sure we can improve. There are things to be changed, but I am confident that I can qualify well and I am ready to give it my all tomorrow.”

Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Press Release

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Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Preview Austin MotoGP

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Monster Yamaha Tech3’s Bradley Smith and Pol Espargaro will once again commence battle at the Circuit of the Americas, this weekend for round two of the 2014 MotoGP World Championship.

The recently constructed Texan circuit is an impressive race track located near the state capital, Austin, which hosted its first MotoGP race last year in what was a fantastic spectacle in front of thousands of delighted fans. This weekend will see the young line up of the Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team assault the 5.513 kilometre circuit, which features fast sweeping curves and a huge elevation change of 41 metres, as the riders once again pursue closing the gap to the leading MotoGP bikes.

Britain’s Bradley Smith will aim to be the leading satellite bike with his excellent qualifying and start, at the opening round highlighting his potential for the season. Whilst, rookie Pol Espargaro, who has strongly adapted to his new Yamaha YZR-M1 MotoGP bike, will aim to continue to gain experience and grow in confidence at his second, premier class race with the Spanish rider now being again close to full fitness.

Bradley Smith: 

“I am really looking forward to the Grand Prix of the Americas this weekend in Texas. After a couple of weeks off since Qatar, I have refocused and am determined to carry on trying to challenge the front runners. The Yamaha feels really good this year and I am full of confidence, thanks to my team and a very strong pre-season. It was an unfortunate end to the first race, but there are many positives to be taken from the experience, and I am looking forward to giving it my all at the Austin track where I scored my first championship points last year”.

Pol Espargaro: 

“I can’t wait to ride the Yamaha YZR-M1 around the Circuit of the Americas this week, as I think the fast corners will suit the style of the Yamaha, and I am eager to experience the bike on such a spectacular race track. I feel my shoulder is much better now and I am getting more used to the demands of a MotoGP bike after having adapted my riding style. The team have also been very good in working with me and I learnt a lot at Qatar. Of course I was disappointed that I didn’t score any points, even though my retirement was really unfortunate, but I feel confident of a good result here at the second MotoGP race“

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Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Race Review Losail MotoGP

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Monster Yamaha Tech3’s Bradley Smith and Pol Espargaro suffered ill luck during an eventful opening race of the 2014 MotoGP World Championship at the Commercial Bank of Qatar Grand Prix. Both Tech3 riders did not finish the race with Britain’s Bradley Smith falling whilst challenging for a podium position on lap 19, and Spanish rookie Pol Espargarohad a mechanical issue forcing him to retire on lap 18.

The opening race began in emphatic fashion for Bradley Smith, who qualified in a personal best ever position of 3rd on the front row of the MotoGP grid. The young English rider was in 2nd place during the opening laps and was in contention of leading the Grand Prix, before settling into a steady rhythm. The Monster Yamaha Tech3 rider remained close to the front for the duration of the race, and as he was preparing his attack on the leading four on lap 19, Smith lucklessly lost the front of his Yamaha YZR-M1 at turn 6.

Pol Espargaro’s positive form during the preseason and free practice sessions unfortunately came to an unsuccessful conclusion at the opening race at the floodlit Qatar circuit, due to an technical problem causing him to pull into the pits and retire. The reigning Moto2 World Champion ran competitively all weekend and impressed with his rookie performances on the MotoGP bike during all sessions.  Espargaro started the MotoGP race strongly, and was placed inside the top ten comfortably. The young Spanish rider set into a good race pace and held 8th position until the gearbox issue struck on lap 18 with only four laps remaining around the 5.83 kilometre Losail International Circuit.

   

Bradley Smith - DNF:

“It’s plain to see that this wasn’t the ideal way to finish the opening race of the season as I gave everything that I possibly could have during the race. I was feeling good on the bike, however it was difficult to close the final second to the front runners but with five or six laps to go I was determined to try and catch them. Unfortunately, I then fell. I want to thank my team, especially after the big crash and the repairs that they had to do on Friday. Now I need to refocus a little bit, taking all the positives out of this weekend and then go to Austin with this new found confidence and be as competitive there”.

   

Pol Espargaro - DNF:

“I really can’t say that luck helped us today, even if we deserved it after this weekend. We didn’t start with the best of terms as I am still not completely healed from my shoulder injury. Then I crashed on Friday and my confidence fell slightly. The good news was that my injury didn’t worsen because of this, and the team did a great job helping me to raise my confidence. With regards to today, it’s unfortunate that this happened as I could have finished inside the top six on my MotoGP debut. I am still happy with my performance because the results all weekend were competitive Before my problems started, I was just eight seconds behind the leader and catching Dovizioso and Aleix, which was more than I could have hoped for. Now I will rest and prepare for the next race in Austin as I definitely want to be at my 100% there”.

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Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Review Losail MotoGP Day 3

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Monster Yamaha Tech3’s Bradley Smith and Pol Espargaro performed impressively during a fiercely competitive qualifying session today at the Losail International Circuit in Qatar. Britain’s Bradley Smith qualified superbly on the front row in 3rd, while his Spanish teammate Pol Espargaro scored a 12th position for the start of the opening MotoGP World Championship race tomorrow night under the floodlights.

Bradley Smith today continued his brilliant pre-season by qualifying in his best ever position of 3rd in the MotoGP class for tomorrow’s Grand Prix.  His performance also ensured the fact that a Monster Yamaha Tech3 rider has been present on the front row of the grid for three consistent years at Qatar. Having previously topped the 4th free practice session and consistently posting quick lap times all week, Smith worked tirelessly with his Monster Yamaha Tech3 team to finish with a best lap time of 1:54.601 around the 5.83 kilometre circuit. The young English rider’s emphatic performance was less than a hundredth of a second from the fastest rider, and will put in him in the best possible position to battle with the leading riders tomorrow. The Monster Yamaha Tech3 satellite rider finished as the fastest Yamaha rider and ahead of the Factory Yamaha’s of Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi.

Pol Espargaro skilfully sailed through Qualifying 1 before heading into the Q2 session where he finished in 12th position on his debut MotoGP appearance for the Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team. Having fallen heavily, albeit uninjured yesterday, the reigning Moto2 World Champion bounced back determinedly today with a calculated ride which saw him top the Qualifying 1 session, and then set a  1:55.152 in Q2. With the young Spaniard’s knowledge of the Yamaha YZR-M1 still growing, his qualifying time is even more impressive after finishing just over six tenths from the leading time in his first ever MotoGP Qualifying.  

Bradley Smith -  3rd - 1:54.601:

 “I am really pleased with today, the bike felt great and I’m really satisfied with the setup. The performance during the fourth free practice session was very promising and fortunately I was able to translate that performance to the new tyre. I was slightly disappointed because with the second tyre, Aleix, Marc and I, all waited a bit too long, as nobody wanted to be followed. My tyres got too cold to push again, so I decided to take the bike back to parc fermé instead of taking any more risks, but I felt I still had some margin.  However, you don’t get points for qualifying, tomorrow is when it really counts and there are 22 laps to battle in. For sure a good start is the key and I know I’m pretty good at them. I also know that I will be strong on the full fuel load as I worked a lot to improve this during the winter. Having said that, there are a lot of strong riders behind me and it won’t be easy, but I’ll give it my all. Tonight I will rest up, and prepare myself and if the bike feels like it did today, I am confident of getting a good result“.   

Pol Espargaro -  12th - 1:55.152:

 “I am happy with how I performed during my first qualifying session today. After yesterday, it took me a little time to rediscover my rhythm, but the most important fact is that I again, have a great feeling with my bike. Of course, tomorrow the race might be different, but after a tough day yesterday I’m really satisfied with my performance during the qualifying. Unfortunately we had to go through Q1 which was not ideal , especially because that meant that we had to maintain an already used front tyre for the final qualifying practice and the grip wasn’t the same anymore. I didn’t feel that I could push quite as much into the entrance of the corner, which is where the Yamaha is the strongest. Still, I was only 6 tenths of a second from the top lap time, almost half a second from Jorge, and less than a tenth from Valentino.  After looking at these statistics, I think I can be satisfied, and also because I believe that my fastest lap time today was very similar to what will be my race pace tomorrow”.

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Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Review Losail MotoGP Day 2

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Monster Yamaha Tech3’s Bradley Smith and Pol Espargaro continued their bright start to the season by improving on the second day of free practice at the floodlit Losail International Circuit, ahead of the qualifying sessions tomorrow.

Bradley Smith furthered his impressive progress during the two 45min sessions at the 5.38 km circuit in Qatar today, with the Monster Yamaha Tech3 rider improving his best time from yesterday’s practice by 0.342 of a second.  The young English rider had a breath taking high side crash during the final free practice session, which luckily inflicted no injuries to him. Smith remounted to finish 6th with a best time of 1:55.474 which was expertly quicker than both factory Yamaha riders and will see him progress to the Q2 session tomorrow.

Pol Espargaro continued his solid start as a rookie in the premier MotoGP class by lowering his lap time again today. The 2013 Moto2 World Champion suffered a fall in the second practice session. Fortunately he did not sustain any further injuries, nor aggrivate his shoulder injury any more, and determinedly used his second bike to run his fastest lap times in the third period. His best lap time was a 1:55.793, an improvement of 0.227 from the first practice session which left Espargaro in 11th place and just 0.091 behind Factory Yamaha rider Valentino Rossi. Espargaro’s time will see him enter the QP1 session tomorrow.  

   

Bradley Smith - 6th - 1:55.474:

“I am happy with today’s performance and I feel that I am close to where I want and need to be.  Today the track conditions improved, and the Bridgestone tyres were working more effectively. It was unfortunate to have the high side, especially as we were trying a new setting with the bike at that time. I know I am very lucky to be walking away without any injury from such a big crash and am thankful that I wasn’t hurt. I then went straight back out on my second bike, went faster and got into the top six which I am pleased about. However, now we need to find a balance between both of my bikes, as they have each big positives, and afterwards we see what we can do tomorrow, but I’m really confident and ready for the qualifying.”

 

Pol Espargaro - 11th - 1:55.793:

“Today has not been our best day. We could have improved more but in the first session we had quite a big crash and I have been fortunate that I escaped unhurt and that my shoulder injury did not worsen. The session itself was a bit strange and unfortunately because of the crash we had to use an additional tyre, which makes things a bit trickier now as we have to go through QP1. I lacked grip throughout today because of the track surface, and that did not help. Moreover I was a bit confused after the crash as there were too many thoughts in my head. Nevertheless, I am pleased with how the bike felt and happy that I was able to ride some competitive lap times. There is another practice session tomorrow and I am confident of qualifying well for my first MotoGP race on Sunday, but I am in need of a good rest tonight”.

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Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Review Losail MotoGP Day 1

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Monster Yamaha Tech3’s Bradley Smith and Pol Espargaro both enjoyed a successful and competitive start today for the first practice session of the 2014 MotoGP World Championship at the Commercial Bank Grand Prix of Qatar.

Smith and Espargaro with their 2014 specification Yamaha YZR-M1’s both finished inside the top 5 and confidently set fast laps times on the opening day. The red flag was deployed mid-way through the session which delayed the free practice briefly; otherwise the track conditions were dry although lacking traction due to a dirty surface.

Bradley Smith produced a superb performance to outline his firm intentions for the 2014 season. The young British rider produced a best lap time of 1:55:816, and completed the first practice of 2014 in 3rd place and just over half a second from the leading time. Having spent the winter test period experimenting with varying aspects of his Yamaha YZR-M1 MotoGP bike, Smith opened his season very positively, with his free practice time today half a second quicker than his qualifying time from last year.

Pol Espargaro rode a strong first practice session to finish within the top 5 of the MotoGP grid. The young Spanish rider, who produced the fastest top speed of 346 Km/h at the Losail International Circuit, completed a best personal lap time of 1:56.020 which resulted in 5th position. Despite his rookie status and riding with a healing collarbone, the reigning Moto2 World Champion impressively completed the practice session less than a second off the fastest lap time.

   

 Bradley Smith - 3rd - 1:55:816:

“Today was a really good start for us. The track conditions were different to when we tested here, probably due to a sandstorm which happened recently. However, the grip improved during the session and I was able to do 1:55 lap times again. As I could keep this rhythm quite easily I decided that it wasn’t worth pushing to the absolute limit, as it was still a bit too risky with the conditions, so I will wait until tomorrow as the grip will improve for sure. Of course, I am happy with 3rd and we are close to Bautista who is on the same tyres. Anyway I’m confident that we will get closer to the top as the track gets better, but the 3 days of testing has definitely helped us. Our aim is to stay in front of the factory bikes, for as long as possible”.

   

Pol Espargaro - 5th - 1:56.020:

“I am happy with the performance I made today. My shoulder was still hurting a little but I can ride which I am pleased about. It was a bit painful on the straight when the bike is moving, and also in the long left corner when I had to lean down the outside of the fairing.  The track conditions were also a bit different to the test we did here; it’s colder and there is less grip. I didn’t want to ride at 100% because of this as I think tomorrow will be better for traction after the track has been cleaned a bit more. The factory bikes will catch up, but I’m sure we can improve as well and I am just really pleased that the season finally started. At the end a top 5 result during my first ever MotoGP session is not bad at all”.

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Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Review Losail MotoGP Test Day 3

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Monster Yamaha Tech3 riders Pol Espargaro and Bradley Smith concluded their pre-season testing today at the final session in Qatar. Both riders optimised the track time to finish the test, feeling optimistic ahead of the opening MotoGP race on the 23rd March.

Reigning Moto2 World Champion Pol Espargaro finished his pre-season impressively having completed the session in 2nd place. The young Spanish rider confidently set about completing quick laps, running a race simulation and continuing his learning process by trying different setup modifications of his Yamaha YZR-M1. However, the premier class rookie made a very small error whilst changing gears going into turn 6 at the end of the session, and ran on at the corner, before falling in the gravel. Even though it was a small crash, he broke his left collarbone and will now fly back home tomorrow for examination and possible surgery. Despite this, the Spaniard’s hard work over the testing period with his new Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team, was evident as his final time was less than two tenths of a second off Yamaha rider Jorge Lorenzo’s pole position qualifying time set last year. Espargaro completed this week’s test session with a best time of 1:54.907, after completing 45 laps.

Young British rider Bradley Smith completed a successful pre-season today at the Losail circuit having worked relentlessly in preparation for the first race. Smith explored different options on his Monster Yamaha Tech3, Yamaha YZR-M1 across the testing period, and leaves the track feeling confident and with his intentions firmly set for 2014. He continued today with finalising some small changes to the geometry of his MotoGP bike as well as running race simulations. Despite having a small fall at the beginning of his long run in the latter stages of the session, the young British rider was uninjured and completed 55 laps in total. Smith finished in 3rd place, with a best time of 1:55.027.

Pol Espargaro – 1:54.907 – 2nd:

“We can be happy with the job we did today as we made some very good steps forward.  At the early stages of the session we found a better setting which allowed me to improve my time with the new tyres, and I could lower me lap time quite a lot. Also, the rhythm I had during the race simulation was much better than yesterday. Of course, the crash at the end of the session was a bit unlucky. I made a mistake whilst changing down the gears going into the corner, which meant I had to go straight ahead and then crashed in the gravel.  I am still very confident and positive about the test and I will be back here in two weeks ready to race“.

Bradley Smith – 1:55.027 – 3rd:

“Overall, I am really pleased with how the winter went for us. Today at Qatar, we decided to do a race simulation at 10:00pm which we thought was the best time to compare to the race weekend.  We made some alterations midway through and I was able to go out again with the same tyres in the final fifteen minutes. I am feeling happy with what was achieved here and this means that we are definitely hitting the ground running. The next step is just some slight fine tuning. The desert is always a bit unpredictable but we are prepared. We have done a lot of very good laps, and I am really excited for round one”.

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Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Review Losail MotoGP Test Day 2

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Monster Yamaha Tech3 riders Bradley Smith and Pol Espargaro continued their relentless work today at the Losail Circuit, Qatar, on the second day of the last pre-season test. Both riders completed a vast quantity of laps in their preparation for the season’s opening MotoGP race on the 23rd of March.

The weather conditions were once again perfect. The track’s grip levels were not ideal at the beginning of the day and were initially worse than yesterday, but as the day progressed, the traction improved. The Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team and Bradley Smith continued to experiment with slight changes to the geometry of his Yamaha YZR-M1 MotoGP bike. The young British rider’s tireless work over the previous tests at Sepang has brought him a setup which he is content and confident with.  The Monster Yamaha Tech3 rider was pleased with the bikes performance on used tyres and therefore with the race set up and will now aim to work on the qualifying setup .Today, Smith completed 62 laps and finished the session in 4th place, with a best time of 1:55.627.

Reigning Moto2 World Champion, Pol Espargaro completed another focused day of testing at the Losail circuit as his confidence continues to grow. The young Spaniard undertook a race simulation today to prepare him for the start of his inaugural and forthcoming, MotoGP season. This simulation was the first one he had completed, which included the warm up lap, start and full distance in order to analyse fuel consumption and to also assess his physical condition.  He amassed a monumental 66 laps in total, today at the Losail Circuit, more than any other MotoGP rider. Espargaro completed the session in 5th place, with a best time of 1:55.876.

Bradley Smith – 1:55.627 – 4th:

“Today we worked mainly on the rear end of the bike, and just tried to improve on the overall best lap which we definitely found a direction with. I am quite excited for tomorrow as we have several ideas which we will run through, and I still believe there is more that we can improve with race pace, even though it is already really good.  If we can start to do some mid and low 55’s, that would be great and is really where we expect to be. We found that we wanted to continue and improve on the new tyres as well as the old ones and I am happy with how the bike performs on either tyre at this stage, so that is really positive for the race.  We’ll then work a bit on the qualifying setup and then finally a race simulation“.

Pol Espargaro -  1:55.876 – 5th:

“I’m pleased that I got my first ever MotoGP race simulation under my belt today, even if I was a little bit tired at the end of the run, but I am satisfied with performance of the bike. Of course we still have a margin to improve. It was tricky to ride with the used tyre, and we are still working towards this. When the grip fades slightly, it becomes a bit harder especially with the traction control, so I must learn how to deal with it, but I suppose it’s all about experience. Moreover it is always different to do a race distance without any pressure and no riders in front or behind me. That makes it really hard to keep the concentration, but we did it so and it gives us a good reference point also regarding the fuel consumption. We have to keep an eye on this, and that makes me happy for today. For tomorrow there are still things to test. For example, I want to try and push for a fast lap, which we haven’t done yet. We tried this at the beginning of the session, but due to the conditions we could not improve as much as we wanted but it wasn’t the main aim of today.

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[Press Release] Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team prepared and eager for 2014

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With the start of the MotoGP season imminent, the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team today unveiled its new livery for the forthcoming 2014 campaign, in Qatar.

British rider Bradley Smith and reigning Moto2 World Champion Pol Espargaro complete the exciting line up for the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team this year. They paraded the new livery of the 1000cc Yamaha YZR-M1 today, on the eve of the final pre-season test in Qatar. The familiar presence of the title sponsor Monster Energy graces the body of the bike once again, along with long standing partners Black & Decker Group with their brands DeWalt, Stanley, and also AntonioLupi, and Motul, who are all integral to the success of the team. But Monster Yamaha Tech 3 especially wishes to welcome the new partners in Sakura and Bihr.

The team has provided young and emerging talents, such as Ben Spies and Cal Crutchlow, with their breakthrough rookie rides in MotoGP. They have exclusively assisted them with learning and adapting to the MotoGP bikes. This year, the scheme continues with the signing of Pol Espargaro.     

Having successfully completed two pre-season tests at Sepang already, both young MotoGP riders await the start of the year prepared, and with a keen sense of eagerness to begin.

With returnee Bradley Smith, and rookie Pol Espargaro, the team is confident of being able challenge for the top five when the season begins on the 23rd March under the floodlights at the Losail Circuit, Qatar.

Bradley Smith - #38:

“I am really excited to start the 2014 campaign, especially now that I have a year of experience. I am keen to ride the new 2014 package from Yamaha, and I am impressed with what I have sampled from them so far. I know we have very competitive material this year, so I want to do the best job I can. We are going into a new adventure with Pol, and I am excited to be working alongside him. I think it will be a good year for us both. We want to be the leading satellite team at every race, the same as the last couple of years. Cal and Andrea had some really strong performances; I want to continue this for the team, and I think this is a realistic goal for the season.”  

Pol Espargaro - #44:

“With the beginning of the season almost here, another dream has come true for me. As long as I can remember, I wanted to ride in the highest category of world motorcycle racing, and this year I finally have the opportunity.  I’m really excited and looking forward to the first race, but I know there is still a lot to learn, and I need to gain more experience on the bike. But I will give it my all during every race, and try to improve step by step, so we will see where we can end up. If we battle with the other satellite riders we have done a good job. I’m truly grateful for the faith Yamaha has in me and I am convinced that together with my Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team we will have a successful year in 2014.”

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Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Review Losail MotoGP Test Day 1

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Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team’s Bradley Smith and Pol Espargaro continued their impressive pre-season today at the Losail Circuit, Qatar. This week’s test, in which only the Satellite and Open Class MotoGP riders are attending, marks the final testing session before the start of the MotoGP season on the 23rd of March.

Young British rider Bradley Smith’s tireless efforts, established himself as the 2nd quickest MotoGP rider today in Qatar. He completed 53 laps of the circuit, and sent a reminder to the top MotoGP riders of his intentions this season. Although the track was initially dirty and lacked traction, it later cleared and the grip improved. This allowed the young British rider to complete today’s session with a fastest lap of 1:55.639 which was 0.253 of a second off the leading time. 

Reigning Moto2 World Champion Pol Espargaro again furthered his impressive transition from the intermediate class to the top category. Completing 62 laps, the young Spanish rider worked relentlessly, together with the Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team, in getting as much track time as possible before the opening round later this month. Having only ridden the Yamaha YZR-M1 at Sepang this year, the change of location to Qatar and the cooler conditions allowed him to expand his knowledge of the MotoGP bike and ride more comfortably. Espargaro set a best time of 1:56.072, and finished the session in 3rd place, only 0.686 of a second off the quickest lap time.

Bradley Smith- 1:55.639 – 2nd:

“Today was a good day. I am happy that the base setup worked immediately here, which means we did a good job in Sepang and so, we didn’t have to make many changes. The track condition was better than I expected and after an hour the track was in much better shape, which is positive as it means we can have a good test here. It was a bit frustrating to be fastest for nearly the whole day, and then getting passed so close to the end, but there are still two days to go. Tomorrow we will try bike 1 and bike 2 and make a few more changes. I am really happy with the setup as it is, but I want to make sure it is the right way, and that’s why we need to play with the geometry of the bike a little more. I will definitely do the race simulation on the last day, and possibly another one tomorrow too.”

Pol Espargaro – 1:56.072 – 3rd:

 “I am very happy with how today went, as it was my first time here on a MotoGP bike. I am pleased to be riding somewhere other than Sepang, as it allows me to explore the bike more. There is still a lot to learn, and the main aim during the next 2 days is to make me ride a bit smoother as this is how the Yamaha goes fast. I am still fighting a bit too much with the bike, but I need to become one with it, which is what I am going to work on. Overall, the bike worked well today and the team helped me a lot with adapting to this circuit so quickly.”

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Monster Yamaha Tech3 Review Sepang 2 MotoGP Test Day 3

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Bradley Smith and Pol Espargaro completed the final day of testing at the Sepang International Circuit today, with many positives to conclude, for the beginning of the MotoGP season at the end of March.

Having undertaken relentless testing programmes for the previous two days, today saw the second Sepang MotoGP test draw to a close. Both Monster Yamaha Tech3 riders experimented with various aspects of their Yamaha YZR-M1 MotoGP bikes in order to find the most suitable set ups which would suit their riding styles. 

British rider Bradley Smith ended the test with an overall feeling of satisfaction regarding his performances over the past three days, as he prepares for his second season in MotoGP. Having spent a large quantity of time on refining the front and rear sections of the Yamaha YZR-M1, as well as accustoming himself to the seamless shift gearbox and the new Bridgestone tyres, Smith was  content with the developments made. He completed a full race simulation today, which was successfully undertaken and confirmed that all of the changes made during this test were in the right direction. Undertaking a colossal 185 laps over all three days, the young British rider finished the second Sepang test with a best time of 2:00.804 in 9th place.  

Young Spanish rider Pol Espargaro finished the session feeling pleased, having spent the past three days learning and mastering his new MotoGP bike. The 2013 Moto2 World Champion, completed over 158 laps around the 5.543 kilometre track, over the three days. He optimised the available time and tested ceaselessly to continue to gain as much knowledge of his new Yamaha YZR-M1 and Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team as possible. The learning curve was steep and despite a small crash yesterday, Espargaro leaves the Sepang test feeling positive. Having gelled seamlessly with the new gearbox, the young Spaniard set the 3rd fastest time on the opening day, before finishing in 10th overall, with an ultimate lap time of 2:00.999.

Bradley Smith -  9th - 2:00.804:

“We tried a lot of different solutions today, especially with the rear of the bike and tried to work the new Bridgestone tyres as much as possible. I found a setting that I was much happier with, which made the bike smoother, and let me ride the Yamaha how it should be. We definitely made the step with rear tyre performance, which allowed me to be much more consistent, compared to the last Sepang test and last year’s race. I did a race simulation, and am pleased as it was during a really hot part of the day, so not perfect in terms of track conditions. At the end of the day, after 70 laps I also did my best time. There are many positives, and I come away from here quite happy. It appears as though the track was slower this time than the previous test, but we are close to my lap time from then. All in all, it has been a somewhat difficult three days, but I am really pleased with the final result. “

Pol Espargaro - 10th -2:00.999:

“It has not been an easy day today. Probably the most difficult one we have had so far. I didn’t feel too well, on one hand maybe because of the crash from yesterday, or on the other hand because it’s really demanding doing several days and so many laps in such hot and humid conditions. However, even if I’m not too enthusiastic about my performance today, I am still just one second from the top of the timesheets which makes me feel much better. Again, we tried different setup solutions, as I still have many things to learn about this bike. I’m really looking forward to trying the bike on a different circuit, in Qatar next week. This will extend my knowledge further, and will permit us to be able to evaluate the information which we collected during this test in a better way. But honestly, all these comments are not as important when you get news like we received today from our Moto2 rider, who is in hospital in France. My thoughts are with him and I hope he recovers quickly.”

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