Optimism high for teams home round in Le Mans

Posted on May 05, 2014 by Monster Yamaha Tech 3

The Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team embarked on a thorough test today at the hot and sunny Jerez circuit and achieved confidence-boosting results for both Pol Espargaro and Bradley Smith.

Bradley Smith made a complete and in-depth test to several key sections of his Yamaha YZR-M1 MotoGP bike and achieved encouraging results. The young British rider spent the morning session focusing on the electronics, before switching over to study chassis modifications.

A small fall at lunchtime did not knock the British rider's relentless and rigid testing determination, as he walked away uninjured. The 23-year-old rider finished the test with a best time of 1.39,840 to leave him in 9th position, just two tenths of a second away from the top 5,which will be his aim for the Le Mans Grand Prix.

Bradley Smith - 9th - 1.39.840
"I was very keen to test at Jerez today as I wanted to try and improve on what we had started in the Friday practice sessions which helped me during the race. Overall I am pleased with what we achieved. The team and I tested a lot of different modifications, and collected a large amount of data with some changes working better than others, leaving us with a clear idea of where we can head towards next in terms of setup direction. We worked a lot on electronics this morning, where we definitely found something positive, and this afternoon on the chassis settings, which I feel we need to work on a little more and also focused on the engine management of the Yamaha. I am happy and confident that we will have a very competitive bike for the Tech3 Team's home race in Le Mans where I am sure we score a positive result."