The Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team pairing of Pol Espargaro and Bradley Smith eagerly look towards the impending Argentinian round, full of confidence and ready for another highly competitive battle.
Pol Espargaro, who charged to the leading independent position in Qatar, will be seeking to repeat that outcome at the Termas de Rio Hondo Circuit in the second event of the 2016 season aboard the Yamaha YZR-M1. Whilst Bradley Smith, who ended the previous race behind his teammate by only 0.023, will intend to deliver a strong performance and finish as close as possible to the factory MotoGP riders.
Pol Espargaro
Championship : 7th Points : 9
“I’m really looking forward to getting back on my Yamaha in Argentina after what was a good opening result to the year in Qatar. It was the start that I needed after an up and down season in 2015 and we’ve got to keep the momentum going and clinch another solid finish. Last time, we struggled at the Termas de Rio Hondo track and it goes without saying that this year will be a challenge again due to the new tyres. I am pleased with the Michelin’s so far and I seem to get stronger on them as the distance progresses, so with a positive race setup, I am confident for more performances like in Qatar. Still, the Argentinian track is very different to the Losail International Circuit, in all respects, so we will have a lot of homework to do on the opening day and it will be interesting to see how the Michelin’s work there. Nevertheless, I am sure I can go one step further than last time and I fully intend to fight for the top independent position once more.”
Bradley Smith
Championship : 8th Points : 8
“Next up for us is the Termas de Rio Hondo circuit which will certainly be a memorable yet demanding event just like last year. The season has commenced in a good way for me as I finished in 8th at Qatar. Of course, I want to be higher than that but I was really close to my teammate so my intentions for this GP will be to go one step further and seal that top independent team position. It was quite a challenging weekend for us in Argentina last year, but I managed to end the race in 6th, and the circuit itself is good fun to ride and a bit different. Anyway, the key point will be the tyres because compared to Losail, the surface is very different. However, I aim to hit the ground running on Friday and get the work in to make sure we have a more successful qualifying this time and then go all out for another top 8 on Sunday. After the first Grand Prix we can see how competitive it is, but we will keep on pushing and fighting all the way to the chequered flag in every race.”
Hervé Poncharal – Team manager :
“Now we head over to Latin America for the Argentinian Grand Prix which is a unique race and one where the fans are always passionate. The guys did a solid job last time in Qatar and to finish 1st and 2nd in the independent fight was very satisfying, especially as we know how competitive the racing will be this year. It will recommence at the Termas de Rio Hondo track, which will be another demanding GP. We hope that Pol can continue his 2016 form and push hard in order to clinch a top eight finish again. Having said that, Brad will be determined to beat his teammate this time, so we know he will battle with Pol all the way to the end. We are looking forward to another entertaining GP and for sure Pol and Brad will do their best as always.”