Moto2 battle to be rejoined at the Brickyard

Moto2 battle to be rejoined at the Brickyard

After a long five-week summer break Scott Redding and Mika Kallio are raring to go, as the Moto2 class descends on the world famous Brickyard for the Indianapolis Grand Prix this weekend.

Redding is still chasing a first race win in the intermediate class, but the 19-year-old British rider's main focus remains on the championship. Redding is currently lying fifth in the standings, 47 points behind series leader Marc Marquez, but is confident that a top three finish is still possible with a run of consistent results in the second half of the season, starting this weekend at Indianapolis.

Persistent mid-race chatter has been a major issue for Kallio so far this season, but despite the problem, the 29-year-old Finn finished second at the Sachsenring and has only been outside the top ten once this season. Kallio is confident that if they can find a solution to the chatter problem at Indianapolis this weekend, he'll be back challenging at the front of races during the second half of the season.

With more than 250,000 seats in the grandstands the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is the biggest permanent sporting arena in the world, but the circuit has been criticised in the past for the bumpy and patchy nature of the MotoGP track, which runs inside the world famous oval. The track underwent extensive resurfacing work almost two years ago, but the variation in tarmac means that grip remains unpredictable.

Scott Redding #45:
“I can't wait to get back to racing after a long summer break, but at least the downtime means I head to the United States with the batteries fully recharged. I like racing at Indy; the track has been a good one for me in the past and the atmosphere and the people at the circuit make it a very special event. As usual I'll be pushing during the second half of the season for a first win in Moto2, something I've been thinking about a lot during the break. I've also been thinking about the championship; the leading four have pulled a bit of a gap at the top of the standings, but if I stay calm and string together some top five finishes in the next few races then I know I can close back up on them. I'm looking forward to the weekend ahead and I hope we'll be able to put on a good show for the fans, on our only appearance America this season.”

Mika Kallio #36:
“I spent most of the summer break at home relaxing, so I'm all set for the second half of the season. Indy isn't one of my favourite tracks, as the layout isn't so exciting and the grip can be unpredictable from one corner to the next because of the different types of tarmac. But anyway, for us, we need to focus on finding a solution to the chatter problem mid-race that has plagued us all season. We've made changes to the suspension the chassis, the balance, the weight and the length of the bike already, but the problem remains. We think we maybe have a solution for Indianapolis, but we won't know for certain until we try it in free practice. Both me and Scott are pushing hard to give the team a first Moto2 win this season and, if our solution to the chatter problem works, then we'll be one step closer to achieving that.”  

Michael Bartholemy: Team Principal
“We need to get the second half of the season off to a strong start with two good results at Indianapolis this weekend. We know Scott's potential at this circuit; two years ago he secured his first Moto2 podium finish at Indy and it wouldn't surprise me at all to see him up there once again this weekend. For most of the year Mika has been struggling with a chatter problem, the cause of which has so far baffled our chassis, tyre and suspension technicians. We will try a very different approach to the problem this weekend, which I hope will finally eliminate the chatter. Without the chatter, we know that Mika is more than capable of fighting not just for the podium, but the top step of the podium.”