Scott Redding’s Marc VDS Racing Moto2 squad believe the British teenager must win races in 2012 to put himself in the shop window for a possible switch to MotoGP next year.
The Gloucestershire rider has impressed during winter testing on the new Kalex chassis and he heads to the opening race in Qatar next week hotly-tipped to mount a title challenge this season.
The 19-year-old is looking to bounce back from a 2011 campaifn that fell well below expectations. Redding didn’t score a single podium last year as he struggled with the Suter chassis and now Marc VDS Racing boss Michael Bartholemy said he expects a big improvement in results.
He told MCN: “For sure we have to make one or two wins at least. Last year we didn’t even make one podium, so this season we need to get a lot of podiums and we need to win some races.
"This is clear because we are in the third year together and we can’t say we are working with a young guy who needs to gain some experience. We all know in this class it is hard to win races and we all know we have some disadvantage with Scott’s height and weight.
"But we have to live with it and it is time now for him to show he is ready to make the next step to go to MotoGP, even if he has to leave us. I think the next three or four months are going to be a big platform for Scott to sell himself for the future.”
Redding and his squad have worked a lot in winter testing on improving the set-up of the Kalex frame over race distance to give him more chance of becoming a regular podium finisher.
Redding is one of the tallest and heaviest riders in the Grand Prix paddock and has struggled in the past with excessive tyre wear in the final stages of races.
Bartholemy added: “We have concentrated much more this winter on working for race distance. We have perhaps looked too much at a fast outright lap and that is important because qualifying on the first three rows in Moto2 is crucial.
"But we have also worked a lot on the bike over race distance to make sure he is fast and competitive throughout. Every test we have made a race simulation to see how much time we can gain compared to the race from the year before and not worrying about small tenths to get pole position and all these other things.
"Scott is a rider who puts more demand on the tyres and the bike because of his weight, so we need to find a pace that is strong over race distance while being fast and consistent throughout.”
source: MCN
