No rest for prepared Tech3 duo as Brno battle approaches
Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team riders Pol Espargaro and Bradley Smith head straight to the Czech Grand Prix primed for the round 11 sprint where they aim to compete for the leading satellite position once again. The pair, who finished inside the top ten after what was a tricky weekend at Spielberg, are eager to get back on track and fight as close as possible to the factory MotoGP bikes at Brno.
Pol Espargaro seeks to produce a notable ride at the Czech circuit in order to consolidate his World Championship standing of 8th, as he currently leads the race for the top independent rider in the rankings. The Spaniard completed the challenging Austrian GP in 10th yet fully intends to go one step beyond in Brno with his sights firmly set on clinching a top eight finish on Sunday afternoon.
Whilst Bradley Smith aims to hit the ground running and repeat his expert performance from last year where he ended the race in 7th position and as the fastest independent rider. The British star, who just missed out on the top satellite honours in Austria despite riding at a notable pace in the round ten event, remains fully focused and confident about battling for a strong result on Sunday.
Pol Espargaro
Championship: 8th Points: 78
“I am excited about heading to the Czech republic because the circuit is great fun to ride and it also means that there is not long to wait until I can get back on my Yamaha to do my best on the track. The Austria weekend was tough and we always knew it would be due to the nature of the track, so to end up in 10th was kind of a damage limitation even though I obviously want to complete the race much higher up. I think that the Brno circuit will suit the Yamaha much more than Austria and I am sure that we can score a more rewarding result there which will help my championship position as the standings are getting more competitive all the time. I felt very comfortable on my M1 in Germany and I expect to regain the same confidence in the Czech Republic in order to be straight on the pace on Friday. I am confident that we can have a better time in Brno, and I’m looking forward to fighting near the front on Sunday.”
Bradley Smith
Championship: 14th Points: 42
“As racing is a huge part of my life, I am pleased that there won’t be any waiting around and I’m happy that we are heading straight to the Czech Republic for the Brno GP so that I can get back on my Yamaha and go for a positive finish. I was disappointed to just miss out on the top satellite position in Austria but I am convinced that I will have my chance this Sunday. This year will be the 11th time that I’ve raced in the World Championship at Brno and the circuit will never get boring for me, especially with the first corner which is definitely special to experience. Traditionally, the Yamaha’s have been strong at that track due to its high-speed corners and layout so I am confident that I can use Yamaha’s corner speed to my advantage. I will give my all to clinch a solid result, which will give me a boost ahead of the following GP which is my home Grand Prix at Silverstone.”
Hervé Poncharal – Team manager:
“There’s not much rest for us because we head straight to the Czech Republic for the 11th round of the Championship which we are all pleased about. Despite the challenging start, Brad and Pol closed the weekend in Austria positively but now we are ready to push for top eight results, if not higher at Brno. Pol is currently leading the satellite battle in the championship and has ridden impressively all year, so we expect him to be fighting as close as possible to the Factory MotoGP riders and we hope he can seal the top independent position on Sunday afternoon. As for Bradley, we expect the same. He has a busy couple of weeks ahead of him with five races on the bounce as he is competing in the 8 Hours of Oschersleben in between Brno and Silverstone. However, we know that this busy schedule will not affect him and he will do his best as always. Therefore, we are certain that he will be competing for a top finish, along with his teammate. We are looking forward to the arriving in Brno as there is always a fantastic crowd for the Czech GP so we will do our best to put on a good show for them.”