This weekend’s Gran Premi Aperol de Catalunya marks the start of an intense period of activity in the Moto2 World Championship, with Scott Redding and Mika Kallio determined to get the run of six races in eight weekends off to a good start with a strong showing at the Montmeló circuit outside Barcelona. The two Marc VDS riders head to Catalunya fresh from enjoying the sights and sounds of the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Monaco, where they were guests of Total, sponsors of the winning Red Bull Racing Team of Sebastian Vettel. Redding heads to Spain determined to get his championship campaign back on track, after being taken out of the race in Estoril and then finishing outside the points in Le Mans due to a bad tyre choice for the race. For the 18-year-old British rider a good result in Catalunya would provide a much needed confidence boost ahead of his home Grand Prix at Silverstone, which takes place just seven days later. It’s been a tough introduction to Moto2 for Kallio so far this season, but the Finn is hoping to turn things around this weekend at Catalunya, to finally get his championship campaign underway. The Marc VDS rider has enjoyed success in Catalunya before, finishing on the podium in the 125cc class in 2005, but this weekend his sights are set a little lower, with a top ten finish the ultimate aim. The 2011 Gran Premi Aperol de Catalunya will mark the 20th successive year that the Circuit de Catalunya has been used since it was first included in the World Championship in 1992. The circuit is characterised by long, constant-radius corners that place the emphasis on a flowing riding style, as well as excellent chassis and tyre performance. A regular testing venue for Formula 1 teams, the track is notoriously bumpy in places, despite extensive resurfacing work carried out in 2005. Scott Redding: #45 “Catalunya was a difficult race for me last year, but we learnt a lot that will stand us in good stead this time around. The bike is definitely better this year and the new tyres should work really well around this circuit, but it will still be a tough weekend. Everyone knows it’s important you carry speed through the last two turns onto the straight, which is one of the longest at any racetrack, but you can also make and lose a lot of time in the stadium section, where good lines through the turns are critical to a fast lap time. Like I said, it will be another tough weekend, as the Moto2 boys don’t hang about, but I’ll be giving it everything as always.” Mika Kallio: #36 “I started the season with the aim of finishing on the podium, but after the last few races I’ll be happy to get a top ten finish under my belt in Catalunya. The circuit isn’t one of my favourites, but I have had some good results there in the past. For this race we have been working on the set-up of the bike, which will be very different this weekend to how it’s been for the last two races. In Estoril and Le Mans we were around one second off the pace of the leaders, so we needed to try something a bit extreme to try and close this gap. I hope that the changes we’ve made will lead to the improvements we’re expecting and that we’ll be able to run a little closer to the front this weekend in Catalunya.” Michael Bartholemy: Team Manager “It is imperative that we get this run of six races off to a good start in Catalunya, with both riders finishing the race in the points. For Scott it’s doubly important, as a good result this weekend would see him head to his home race at Silverstone with renewed confidence. Mika has had a difficult transition to the Moto2 class, but since the disappointment of Le Mans, where a mechanical problem ruled him out of the race, he’s been working hard with his crew to find a set-up on the bike that will allow him to close the gap on the front-runners. I know Mika’s ultimate goal is a podium finish, but this weekend he needs to make the first step towards achieving his aim by finishing inside the top ten.”