REDDING AND KALLIO FIRED UP FOR FRANCE Scott Redding and Mika Kallio head for this weekend’s Grand Prix de France at Le Mans confident of turning around their season, following three difficult races in Qatar, Jerez and Estoril. A collision caused by Marc Marquez robbed Redding of a possible podium finish last time out in Estoril, where teammate Kallio fared even worse, crashing out of the race with just eight laps remaining after struggling all weekend with front end problems with his Suter MMXI Moto2 machine. The Marc VDS duo are keen to make amends this weekend and both head to France with confidence restored following a successful two-day test at the Estoril circuit immediately after the Portuguese Grand Prix. The Le Mans circuit, which is situated in the Sarthe region of France and is home to the legendary 24 Heures du Mans car race, is one of the most famous motorsport facilities in the world. First gear corners dominate the 4.18 km Bugatti track, on which Sunday’s 26-lap Grand Prix de France will be run, demanding a bike that is stable under braking, but with good acceleration out of the low-speed turns. The Elf logo will feature prominently on the bikes of Redding and Kallio at Le Mans, following an agreement that will see the French oil and lubricants giant as the primary sponsor of the Marc VDS Racing Team for three races this season, starting with the French Grand Prix this weekend. Scott Redding: #45 “I need to turn things around this weekend, because I’m not happy going into the fourth round of the championship without a single point to my name. The Le Mans circuit is quite physically demanding, but it also flows really well. We need to find a good set-up based on what we learnt during the two days of testing at Estoril, so I can run towards the top of the timesheet from Friday onwards. I’m pretty confident going into the weekend. It started to come together in Portugal, until a coming together of a different kind put paid to things, so I know I’ll be on the pace in France. I want some points this weekend so, as always, it will be full gas in the race.” Mika Kallio: #36 “The two days of testing we completed at Estoril were important; they allowed us to confirm some changes to the bike set-up and, as a result, I went faster than I did during the race weekend. Le Mans is quite similar to Estoril; a little bit stop and go through the chicanes, with a long straight and hard braking immediately after. This means the set-up we found in Estoril should be good for this weekend in France also. I hope we get some consistent weather this weekend, unlike at Estoril, as this will make things easier for everyone. My confidence in the bike has improved significantly and that is important for me going into this race. Our first points remain the aim, but if we have a trouble free weekend then I hope we can finally show our true potential and get closer to the front of the race on Sunday.” Michael Bartholemy: Team Manager “We went to Estoril looking for our first points of the season and came away disappointed. That can’t happen again this weekend at Le Mans. Scott and Mika have regained their confidence in the bike, following the test at Estoril two weeks ago, and I expect both to be pushing hard near the front of the race this weekend. Like I said, finishing another weekend with no points is simply not an option. At Le Mans, and also Mugello and Sepang, we will be welcoming guests from Elf, as well as running their logo in the primary position on our bikes. Elf have long been supporters of the Marc VDS Racing Team and I’m happy that the company has the confidence in us to increase their support significantly for these three races. I’m sure that their guests will enjoy the Le Mans weekend and I hope we can give them something special to cheer about in the race.”