Scott Redding expected to win in 2012

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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

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Scott Redding picks out 2012 Moto2 title rivals

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Scott Redding believes four riders, including Spanish sensation Marc Marquez, stand between him and capturing the 2012 Moto2 world championship.

The Marc VDS Racing rider has impressed during pre-season testing and he heads to the first race in Qatar next week as one of the pre-season favourites.

But the Gloucestershire rider believes Marquez heads a list of four big names that pose the biggest threat to his title ambitions.

Marquez made a startling return to action at the recent Jerez test in Spain to lap inside the top six after a five-month lay-off with a right eye problem he suffered in Sepang last October.

And Redding told MCN: “Obviously Marquez is going to be strong. He is a good rider and it is good that he came back. He has got something special about him and he keeps getting up and battling.

"He gets results so what he is putting in he is getting back. He is still fast and for sure he is going to be running at the front. I know I can run with him though and I know that I am as fast as him and I think it will be good to battle with him at the front.”

Redding’s other hot tips include Thomas Luthi, Pol Espargaro and Andrea Iannone.

He added: “Luthi and Espargaro will definitely be there or thereabouts. Never count out Iannone too. He might be struggling in testing but come race day he is capable of something completely different.”

Redding was seventh quickest at the final pre-season test in Jerez last week and prior to that he’d never been outside of the top two in three previous tests at Jerez and Valencia.

Redding is aware that he needs to raise his game having failed to score a single podium finish in 2011, but he’s much happier and confident after a switch to the Kalex frame from Suter.

He said: “I’ve been with the team for three years and it has taken a while and we have always been there or thereabouts but always been towards the end of the season and it needs to be at the beginning.

"All the pre-season has gone really well and my training has been good and I feel happier in myself and more confident in what we can do. The only thing left is down to me.

"We’ve been fast in testing so we have proved that I do get on with the bike and there is no reason why we can’t be up there.”

source: MCN

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Scott Redding and Bradley Smith make big progress in Jerez

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Scott Redding and Bradley Smith made big moves up the Moto2 timesheets in Jerez today.

Redding climbed up from 11th yesterday to fourth fastest this afternoon, despite a late crash at Turn 10 that he was able to walk away uninjured from.

The Marc VDS Racing rider took advantage of cooling track temperatures and a drop in strong winds that hit the track earlier to clock a best time of 1.42.638 on the Kalex chassis.

That put him 0.480s behind Swiss rider Thomas Luthi, who once again headed the timesheets with a quickest lap of 1.42.158 set in the fina hour of the day.

The Gloucestershire rider told MCN: “Today was a bit better and I feel better in myself, but we need to find a little bit more out of the bike to close the gap. I got down to a 43.0 earlier which is good but it is still a little bit frustrating because at the last test I did a 42.2 and that is a bit strange for me.

"I think it is the temperature of the track and the feeling is not so good in the heat. We are making it better slowly. We need to get the bike turning a bit more and find a bit more rear traction for the heat.

"(Thomas) Luthi and (Claudio) Corti seem really consistent and now the gap to them is closer, so I’m happier about that.”

Smith also made significant progress today on the second day on board an all-new Tech 3 Racing chassis and swingarm package.

The Oxfordshire rider was a lowly 17th yesterday but he climbed iinto the top 10 today. A best lap of 1.43.012 put him eighth quickest but he was less than half-a-second away from the top three.

He told MCN: “It is nice to actually put on the timesheets what I am feeling on the bike. I knew there was the potential in the bike yesterday but when you look at a 43.8 and you are 17th on the sheets, it doesn’t look like there is much potential.

"But we just needed to find it and today we made some big, big changes and actually found a bike that always in my mind I’ve thought how a 600 Moto2 should react and now we ard 95% there.

"I’m really happy over race distance again too and I am banging in low 43s consistently and that fills me with confidence because we are not dropping off. I’d have liked to see a 1.42 but the work we did was fantastic.

"A lot of it is balance for braking and corner entry. We need to make a bike that when I’m braking it doesn’t feel like I’m going over the handlebars all of the time and the rear is jumping off the floor.

"That makes a big difference on these bikes because when you have got 155kg of bike hopping off the ground and wanting to go straight it is difficult to muscle it into the corner regardless of how much you counter steer on the handlebars.

"That’s the biggest change making sure we’ve got a stable feeling entering the corner.”

Gino Rea also made good progress today on the Gresini Moriwaki machine and he ended up 14th with a best time of 1.43.486. That was 0.7s quicker than his pace on day one and he cut the gap to the top six to just 0.6s.

Spaniard Marc Marquez was in impressive form again today and he clocked the third best time.

Making his first serious testing appearance of the winter having been ruled out for five months with nerve damage in his right eye resulting from a heavy crash in Sepang last Octoher, he set a best time of 1.42.557.

That put him 0.399s adrift of Luthi and he walked away from a late crash at Turn 10.

source: MCN

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Redding: "A title would be so good this year"

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motop.com caught up with Scott Redding ahead of the final Test in Jerez to talk about developments during the winter break that have led to renewed expectations of a title challenge in 2012.

2011 was a disappointing year for young Redding, who failed to make a single podium in Moto2 despite a strong performance in winter testing. This year, the Marc VDS rider was back on top at the first two Official Moto2 Tests after a switch from the Suter to the Kalex chassis produced immediate results.

You had a successful test in Jerez, what did you focus on?

"It was good apart from one crash, but that was nothing too big. Everything else went really well; we got a few things sorted out and there’re just a couple of little things left but nothing spectacular. We mostly worked on the feeling on the bike and a bit more on the turning. I get to the point where I’m starting to lean the bike so much and I’m just getting a good feeling from that point."

How differnt is the Kalex from the Suter?

"The Suter was good on the front end but we´re starting to make improvements like that [on the Kalex]. The bike´s working really well on the front and we´ve got a pretty good feeling there, it´s pretty predictable which helps. We´re just trying to make it feel a little bit like the Suter on the front. I think it´s got the potential to be better than the Suter there, it´s just about finding the right direction with it."

What about the feeling overall? 

"Amazing if I put it in black and white. The feeling with the bike is so great that I want to go out and ride it all the time, which is good for my confidence."

How much of the change is the bike and how much is you? 

"The bike´s helping me. I´m working hard on the bike and the bike´s working with me. The bike and I together is a good combination. Then to get results is even better for me to get more confidence with the bike, it makes me want to go out and ride more and I feel so comfortable on it that I can go out and do lots of laps on it."

What else has changed? You seem a lot more confident this year. 

"I´ve just been enjoying life a bit more, everything before was just training, training, training but now I´m still training and have dedication to my sport but I have things like the [Scott Redding Young Riders] Academywith the kids which is enjoyable.Things like that are helping me take life a bit more as it comes instead of just training every day, aching every day. With the new bike it´s so much easier to ride so I can relax a bit more, I have more motivation, it just makes me a happier person and everyone knows a happy rider is a fast rider."

How have you changed your training? 

"I´ve calmed down a bit on the training, I´m not just going hard, hard, hard all the time. I´m doing more running, swimming, going out on 3 hour hikes, stuff like that. I´ve laid off all the core work, I still do it to keep the body in good shape but I´m not going out cycling 3 hours a day, then in the gym, then something else. It just feels better for myself that I don’t feel exhausted every day I wake up."

Is your training more focused on weight loss rather than strength? 

"With the new bike I don’t need as much strength because it doesn’t seem to be as heavy on the direction changes. We can afford to just trim up a bit on the upper body and the legs to get the weight down a little bit, so that´s our aim."

Will that be enough when you start racing week in, week out? 

"Yeah I always recover pretty quick. I´ve been doing race simulations this year and I´m just starting to get a little bit of a sweat on, unlike last year when I was just completely exhausted. I´ve been training harder so it goes to show when the bike works how much easier it is for me."

Do you think it´s fair to say that last year you suffered with confidence issues? 

"It wasn’t really my confidence, it was just that the bike wasn’t really working for me last year. I know that I´ve got it in me to do it so when I get on a bike that I know is working I can reassure myself that it actually works because the times come. Then things just look up and it makes you want to do it and then you get even more confident than when you started and that´s when it starts to get a little bit easier."

What are your predictions for this season? 

"I´m thinking that we can do top 5, top 3, that´s what we´re aiming for. We had good testing where we were quickest so we know that the times are there and we know we were not on a Supersport engine [at the tests] so we´re not cheating ourselves. It´ll be good in the last test when everyone´s got the same engines and real timing to see what actually happens, because at the moment you don´t know what anyone´s doing, some could be holding back. But I think we could be running top 5, top 3 every race this year."

Who do you see as your biggest rivals and the title favourites this year? 

"Luthi seems to be pretty quick and consistent, for me at the moment it´s him. I haven’t seen Marc Marquez ride this year, so I don’t know what to say about him and Andrea Iannone seems to look like he´s struggling a bit but he always pulls it out on race day. I think Bradley Smith is trying to work out the new chassis a bit more but he´ll be there or there abouts this year. You can´t really predict much yet."

Your team-mate Mika Kalliowas also really strong at the end of last year and in winter testing, how much will he challenge you this year? 

"I think Mika is holding something in the bag as well. I think he´s done really well, in testing he did a race simulation and his lap times were good. It´s really hard to say because some people are just doing one lap in testing, some are doing runs and quick laps, so it´s hard to say what´s going to happen.After this next test we can see the times and see what happens and you can work out a bit what people are doing."

What do you think it takes to win this title against so many competitive riders? 

"You definitely need to be consistent, to finish every race. You need to be up running top 3, top 5 every race because the competitiveness of the class is really strong. But we´re preparing for that. We´re going to be one of the guys there that´s going to be making it competitive and making it hard for other riders, but it´s not going to come easy and we´re expecting that. It´s about being consistent every race and not doing anything dumb."

Do you think you´re a title favourite this year? 

"Testing was good don’t get me wrong but you can´t predict anything until you see the first race because that´s when everyone lets the leads off and goes."

You were also fast in winter testing in 2011. When the first race comes this year, what makes you better prepared for it than last year? 

"Just that we haven’t been changing much on the bike to get the final result. Last year we were changing the bike here, there, all the time but this year it´s been pretty much the same. Obviously we´re changing things but the final result´s always pretty much the same."

Your good results in testing came after some strong words from [team manager] Michael Bartholemy after a disappointing 2011. Now people are starting to talk about you as a title contender again. Do you feel more pressure to do well this year? 

"I wouldn’t say there´s more pressure. Everyone seems more relaxed because the results are coming a lot easier and they know it´s coming easier because I´m happier. I´m enjoying it, the team´s enjoying it and when you have a good spirit things are happening.When things aren’t working no one is happy and it´s got to be someone´s fault at the end of the day so you just have to take it as it comes and do the best with what you’ve got."

Do you think about MotoGP in the future? 

"I just want to try and get top 3, or a title this year would be so good for me because I´ve had such an up and down year the past few years so it would be nice to know that I´ve got it and to get a championship or runner up. We just have to see how this year goes then see what happens in 2013."

Ducati have been talking about you, does that flatter you or do you ignore talk like that? 

"I don’t think about it because it´s just so far in the future, I´ve got to do a good job here to get there, you can´t just go jumping steps because someone´s talking about you. Words and actions are two different things."

source: MotoGP Official

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Redding ascends the Moto2™ field

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Marc VDS Racing rider Scott Redding reported the fastest lap in the Moto2™ category on the second day of testing in Jerez, as the intermediate category continues the pre-season wind up for the opening race of the year in April.

Day two of testing at the Jerez circuit featured cloudy skies and even a few drops of rain for the Moto2 field, thought the track remained dry and the riders were able to put in a full day’s work in preparation for the 2012 Championship season, with the majority of the field pacing quicker than yesterday.

While the times stated today are not official, the majority of teams reported lap times with Marc VDS Racing reporting a very quick time of 1’42.2 from their rider Scott Redding. Claudio Corti followed with a 1’42.4 and yesterday’s leader Thomas Luthi set the third fastest time, just one tenth off that of Italtrans Racing rider Corti.

Newcomer Takaaki Nakagami (Italtrans Racing) continues to impress as the Japanese rider finished the day with the fourth fastest time with Pol Espargaro (Pons Racing) completing the top five times.

Bike changes and adaptations throughout the paddock resumed full force, with riders such as Gino Rea and Rattapark Wilairot of the Team Gresini team working on the set-up of their 2012 version Moriwaki, while Bradley Smith of Tech 3 Racing went back to the settings the team used in November after various changes did not produce the results expected. Johann Zarco reported finding the adaptation to 4 stroke bikes rather difficult and said he still needs to get more confidence with braking.

Unofficial Moto2 lap times Friday (recorded by teams:

1. Scott Redding, MARC VDS RACING TEAM, 1’42.2 

2. Claudio Corti, ITALTRANS RACING TEAM, 1’42.4 

3. Thomas Luthi, INTERWETTEN PADDOCK, 1’42.5 

4. Takaaki Nakagami, ITALTRANS RACING TEAM, 1’42.7 

5. Pol Espargaro, Pons Racing, 1’42.8

6. Julian Simon, AVINTIA RACING Moto2, 1’43.0 

7. Esteve Rabat, Pons Racing, 1’43.1

8. Bradley Smith, TECH 3 RACING, 1’43.2 

9. Mika Kallio, MARC VDS RACING TEAM, 1’43.3

10. Xavier Simeon, TECH 3 RACING, 1’43.4 

11. Randy Krummenacher, GP TEAM SWITZERLAND, 1’43.4

12. Nico Terol, MAPFRE ASPAR TEAM, 1’43.4 

13. Andrea Iannone, SPEED MASTER, 1’43.5 

14. Alex De Angelis, NGM MOBILE FORWARD RACING, 1’43.3 

15. Angel Rodriguez, SAG TEAM, 1’43.6 

16. Mike Di Meglio, SPEED UP, 1’43.8

17. Toni Elías, MAPFRE ASPAR TEAM, 1’44.0

18. Axel Pons, PONS RACING, 1’44.0

19. Gino Rea, GRESINI RACING Moto2, 1’44.0 

20. Simone Corsi, IODARACING PROJECT, 1’44.0

21. Yuki Takahashi, NGM MOBILE FORWARD RACING, 1’44.1 

22. R. Wiliarot, THAI HONDA GRESINI Moto2, 1’44.1

23. Johann Zarco, JIR Moto2, 1’44.3

24. Max Neukirchner, KIEFER RACING, 1’44.6 

25. Dominique Aegerter, TECHNOMAG-CIP, 1’44.6 

26. Roberto Rolfo, TECHNOMAG-CIP, 1’45.1

27. Ricky Cardus, ARGUIÑANO RACING TEAM, 1’45.3 

28. Alexander Lundh, MZ RACING TEAM, 1’45.8 

29. Eric Granado, JIR Moto2, 1’46.1 

30. Damian Cudlin, QMMF RACING TEAM, 1’46.3 

31. Marco Colandrea, SAG TEAM, 1’46.8

24. Elena Rosell, QMMF RACING TEAM, 1’46.9

source: MotoGP Official

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Redding under lap record at Valencia

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In a repeat of yesterday morning, none of the participating teams attempted a run on the cold pavement before 11:00am due to the cold track temperatures, and again the Marc VDS Racing Team reported their star Scott Redding as posting the fastest lap time, a 1’35.6, nine tenths quicker than his reported time yesterday and half a second faster than the best recorded lap set by Toni Elias in 2010.

In a change from yesterday however, the top five were on a varied mix of bikes, with Andrea Iannone reporting the second fastest time, two tenths behind Redding aboard his Speed Up modified FTR. The Italian was able to put in around fifteen more laps than yesterday and making a two second improvement in the process.

Claudio Corti was again third with an improvement of 1.3s on his Italtrans Racing Kalex, followed by the Suter of Thomas Luthi and Simone Corsi on the FTR Ioda bike reporting the same time (1'36.3) to complete the top five unofficial times. 2010 Champion Toni Elias improved his pace seven tenths, landing him in twelfth position,

Team Gresini’s Gino Rea made up for lost time after an engine problem yesterday allowed the British rider to only complete ten laps, putting in 50 today and ranking 17th, and Yuki Takahashi also recovered lost time after troubles that saw the Japanese rider complete only 3 laps on Wednesday, putting in 57 laps to place 19th.

There were a handful of minor crashes, including both JiR team’s Johann Zarco and Brazilian rider Eric Granado, the latter of whom will debut in the Moto2 World Championship from the Silverstone race after he reaches the required age of 16, and all three members of the Pons Racing Team, Tito Rabat, Pol Espargaró and Axel Pons, none of whom provided any lap times for today, though Espargaró and Rabat reported the second and fifth fastest times yesterday.

Unofficial Moto2 lap times Thursday (recorded by teams):

1. SCOTT REDDING, MARC VDS RACING TEAM, KALEX, 1’35.6 (59 laps) 

2. ANDREA IANNONE, SPEED MASTER, SPEED UP, 1’35.8 (40 laps) 

3. CLAUDIO CORTI, ITALTRANS RACING TEAM, KALEX, 1’36.1 (48 laps) 

4. THOMAS LUTHI, INTERWETTEN PADDOCK, SUTER, 1’36.3 (30 laps) 

5. SIMONE CORSI, IODARACING PROJECT, FTR, 1’36.3 (30 laps) 

6. BRADLEY SMITH, TECH 3 RACING, TECH 3, 1’36.5 (52 laps) 

7. MIKA KALLIO, MARC VDS RACING TEAM, KALEX, 1’36.6 (54 laps) 

8. ANGEL RODRIGUEZ, SAG TEAM, FTR, 1’36.8 (42 laps) 

9. MAX NEUKIRCHNER, KIEFER RACING, KALEX, 1’37.2 (67 laps) 

10. RANDY KRUMMENACHER, GP TEAM SWITZERLAND, KALEX, 1’37.5 (55 laps) 

11. ALEX DE ANGELIS, NGM MOBILE FORWARD RACING, SUTER, 1’37.5 (51 laps) 

12. TONI ELIAS, ASPAR TEAM Moto2, SUTER, 1’37.6 (59 laps) 

13. MIKE DI MEGLIO, SPEED UP, SPEED UP, 1’37.6 (50 laps) 

14. NICOLAS TEROL, ASPAR TEAM Moto2, SUTER, 1’37.7 (60 laps) 

15. JOHANN ZARCO, JIR Moto2, MOTOBI, 1’37.7 (34 laps) 

16. XAVIER SIMEON, TECH 3 RACING, TECH 3, 1’37.7 (62 laps) 

17. GINO REA, GRESINI RACING Moto2, MORIWAKI, 1’37.8 (50 laps) 

18. TAKAAKI NAKAGAMI, ITALTRANS RACING TEAM, KALEX, 1’37.8 (66 laps) 

19. YUKI TAKAHASHI, NGM MOBILE FORWARD RACING, SUTER, 1’37.9 (57 laps) 

20. ALEXANDER LUNDH, MZ RACING TEAM, MZ-RE HONDA, 1’38.4 (45 laps) 

21. DOMINIQUE AEGERTER, TECHNOMAG-CIP, SUTER, 1’38.4 (67 laps) 

22. RATTHAPARK WILAIROT, THAI HONDA GRESINI Moto2, MORIWAKI, 1’38.6 (61 laps) 

23. DAMIAN CUDLIN, QMMF RACING TEAM, MORIWAKI, 1’39.4 (44 laps) 

24. ROBERTO ROLFO, TECHNOMAG-CIP, SUTER, 1’39.7 (61 laps) 

25. ELENA ROSELL, QMMF RACING TEAM, MORIWAKI, 1’40.1 (52 laps) 

26. ERIC GRANADO, JIR Moto2, MOTOBI, 1’40.3 (20 laps) 

27. MARCO COLANDREA, SAG TEAM, FTR, 1’42.3 (19 laps) 

28. JULIAN SIMON, AVINTIA RACING Moto2, FTR, No times provided

29. POL ESPARGARO, PONS RACING, KALEX, No times provided

30. AXEL PONS, PONS RACING, KALEX, No times provided

31. ESTEVE RABAT, PONS RACING, KALEX, No times provided

source: MotoGP Official

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Scott Redding looking to continue fast winter form in Valencia

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British rider Scott Redding is hoping to continue his dazzling pre-season form this week when the Moto2 testing campaign resumes in Valencia.

The Marc VDS Racing rider topped the timesheets in Jerez at the end of November after an impressive switch from the Suter to Kalex chassis.

And he is hoping for another positive performance over the three-day test in Valencia, which kicks off tomorrow (Wednesday).

Redding told MCN: “I’m really looking forward to being back on the bike this week and carrying on the form I had in Jerez before Christmas. Hopefully we are going to get a good test because the weather forecast doesn’t seem too bad, which is pretty positive because it can be pretty cold there at this time of the year.

"I’ll just be looking to get as comfortable on the bike as quickly as I can so we can start some serious testing and setting some high standards for ourselves. Last year in winter testing we thought we’d nailed it with the set-up of the bike and then when it came to racing we got a shock and realised we were still having to fix problems.

"The focus this year is going to be making sure we have ironed out as many potential problems as we can before the first race in Qatar and I’m confident we can do that.

"The Kalex chassis works really well and I feel I can push more to my limit than what I could with what we were using in 2011. It takes a bit of time to click with it but once you get into a rhythm with it, it is absolutely amazing.

"I’m feeling positive going into this test after what happened in Jerez and I’m confident we can be at the sharp end on the timesheets.”

source: MCN

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Vito Guareschi, "I think Scott Redding could be very fast in MotoGP"

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Speaking to BikesSportNews.com , Vito Guareschi, Ducati team boss said that Scott Redding is one of their favorites to make the jump to MotoGP.

Guareschi, who also performs functions Ducati occasional test driver makes a call to the generation change in MotoGP.

"We need a generational change in MotoGP. I really like Scott Redding. In Moto2 is penalized for his physique, but I think it could be very fast in a MotoGP. I also hope that the arrival of the CRT enable young people to enter the category" , stated the Italian.

Recall that Redding at 19 1'80m far exceeds the height and both his team and have always found it to have many aerodynamic problems in Moto2 top speed, which is not what happened in their first seasons in the 125cc class at it found in 15 years, achieving his first and only victory in GG.PP. framed in the same season the Spanish team BQR.

source: motocuatro.com

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Cal Crutchlow on Birmingham Motorcycle Live Show

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Cal Crutchlow gave motorcycle racing fans a close look at his MotoGP Yamaha as the 2011 Motorcycle Live show got off to a spectacular start. The Monster Yamaha Tech 3 star brought his machine onto the main stage at the NEC in Birmingham before starting up the 800cc YZR-M1 in front of a packed crowd.

Crutchlow’s Grand Prix compatriots from the lower classes also made appearances on stage with Moto2 riders Bradley Smith and Scott Redding joining 125cc youngsters Danny Kent, Danny Webb, Harry Stafford and Taylor Mackenzie.

Britain’s finest Superbike riders added to a star-studded opening to the nine-day event with Leon Haslam, Leon Camier, James Toseland and Tom Sykes from the World Championship joined by British Superbike Champion Tommy Hill and World Supersport title holder Chaz Davies.

Throughout the week, a host of activities will be on show for the public with two-wheel taster sessions in the Get On Arena, off-road experiences, on-road test rides and trials riding. Experts will be showcasing their talents in the Ramp’d Up Freestyle Motocross Arena while more racing stars and biking celebrities will be showing their faces before the curtain comes down on Sunday 27th November.

source: thecheckeredflag

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Redding sets Jerez pace on Kalex

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Scott Redding's transition to the Kalex chassis is continuing to go to plan as he topped the first day of unofficial testing at Jerez.

The Briton's will embark on his third Moto2 season with Marc VDS in 2012, but will ride a Kalex chassis having raced with Suter for the last two years.

Completing 52 laps around the Spanish circuit, though Redding suffered a fall early in the day, he was still the only rider to dip below 1min 43secs with a best time of 1min 42.9secs.

He was followed up by Pons Racing pair Pol Espargaro and Esteve Rabat and his Marc VDS team-mate Mika Kallio, who will also remain with the squad in 2012.

Having impressed in testing at Valencia recently, Gino Rea continued to make his pitch for a Gresini ride with the fifth best time, a second slower than Redding, while countryman and 2011 standout Bradley Smith was sixth quickest.

Former champion Toni Elias was seventh best for Aspar, ahead of Axel Pons, Alex de Angelis, Yuki Takahashi, Xavier Simeon and 125GP champion Nico Terol.

source: crash

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Scott Redding impressed with Kalex chassis

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British rider Scott Redding produced an impressive performance on the new Kalex chassis he will race in the 2012 Moto2 world championship at the start of a three-day test in Valencia yesterday.

The 18-year-old ended the opening day in third place on the unofficial timesheets as he got his first chance to evaluate the Kalex frame in dry conditions.

The Marc VDS Racing rider completed a handful of laps in Valencia last week on a wet track but yesterday was his first chance to try the Kalex on slick tyres after his Belgium-based squad opted to switch from the Suter frame he raced in 2011.

Redding told MCN: "I was really happy with the bike because I did my best time on my last lap with 32-laps on the rear tyre. It has really good front feeling, which is really good for me, and good rear traction, so I’m really happy. The feedback you get is really good and you can feel the chassis working underneath you. The chassis is very stiff and you get a lot of confidence from the bike. I struggled for rear grip on the Suter and one of the big differences with the Kalex was the rear grip was really good immediately."

Redding also believes the design of the Kalex frame, which won the 2011 world title with German Stefan Bradl, will decrease the disadvantage he suffers because of his large physical size.

Redding is one of the tallest and heaviest in Moto2 and his physical stature has visibly hindered his acceleration speed and top speed.

But he added: "I can get tucked in much better on this bike coming out of the corners and yesterday on the straight I was actually able to draw alongside people which has never happened before. Before it was a real fight to get my arms and knees tucked in."

source: MCN

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