Press Release:
Mika Kallio and Scott Redding both challenged for the top ten in an exciting Gran Premio d’Italia TIM this afternoon, but ultimately it was a disappointing outcome for the Marc VDS Racing Team at the spectacular Mugello circuit.
Kallio made a flying start from ninth position on the grid and an aggressive strategy in the first few corners immediately thrust him into contention for the group battling for the top six in the early laps.
With the 21-lap race starting in hot and humid conditions, Kallio opted for the hard rear Dunlop tyre and that selection looked to be paying dividends when he moved into sixth on lap eight.
But a sudden and unexpected drop in front and rear grip dropped Kallio back into an intense group of 12 riders dicing for seventh place and despite his determined efforts, the Finnish rider was unable to defend his place inside the points-scoring positions and he finished 17th.
Redding honoured his pledge to make an aggressive start, the Briton producing an early overtaking masterclass to move from 28th on the grid into 13th after just three laps.
He spent the majority of the race engaged in the same captivating battle that included Kallio for seventh, but the 18-year-old found it difficult to maintain his impressive early speed and he slipped out of the points at two-thirds distance. He eventually finished in 27th position after succumbing to heat exhaustion towards the end of the race.
Mika Kallio #36 – 17th Position
“To finish outside of the points when you qualify inside the top ten means you can’t be happy at all and I’m definitely not. The race started well and I was immediately able to get into a fast pace and I was confident of fighting for the top six. But after about six laps I had a big drop in the grip from the tyres and it was very difficult to maintain my pace. I struggled with the rear to start with and then the front. We didn’t expect this because I chose the hard rear tyre and we thought it would be good for the end of the race in the hot conditions. The other riders chose the same tyre, so we have to look at the data and try to understand why we had a problem. I’m very disappointed for the team because we expected to have a much better result.”
Scott Redding #45 – 27th Position
“Starting from so far back on the grid I knew I had to be really aggressive right from the off and I just went straight into attack mode. I lost count of how many riders I was able to pass but by the third lap I was already inside the top 15 and I felt really comfortable. I knew I had the pace to push on and fight for the top ten because in the dry on Friday and Saturday I’d been really fast and the bike was working well. I was enjoying myself in a proper old-fashioned fight when I suddenly found it difficult to maintain my pace. Physically I lost quite a lot of strength and I couldn’t do anything about it. I’m really disappointed for the Marc VDS Racing Team because I couldn’t get the job done.”
Michael Bartholemy: Team Manager
“I don’t want to talk about deteriorating grip or heat exhaustion because, for me, neither was the biggest problem for us today. We were missing the fighting spirit that was so evident in the riders battling the same issues at the front of the race, which is why we finished where we did. I am obviously disappointed, because the team has worked so hard this season and, today, we didn’t see the same level of commitment from the riders. I want to see more commitment from both Mika and Scott next time out in Sachsenring; the same level of commitment we saw from the likes of Marc Marquez and Tom L�thi today.”
Steve Lamson Grant Langston Danny LaPorte Mike LaRocco Jason Lawrence
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