Solid start for Scott Redding and Bradley Smith in Jerez

Scott Redding and Bradley Smith made a solid start to the Jerez Moto2 test in Spain yesterday (Thursday) when both posted lap times good enough to secure top ten places on a windy opening day.

Marc VDS Racing rider Redding, who was second quickest in the Valencia test last week, logged the fifth best time having completed a long-stint of over 70-laps.

The Gloucestershire rider, who has made an immediate impression on the new Kalex machine after a winter switch from the Suter chassis, set a best time of 1.43.6.

Redding, who was fastest at a Moto2 test in Jerez at the end of November, told MCN: “Track conditions weren’t great and there was a high wind as well that made it difficult. I was struggling with a little bit of chatter but it got better through the day so I am happy with that.

“I was also finding that traction was dropping off quite a bit over the longer distance but I think that is more down to track conditions than anything else. What we will be working on for the rest of the test is trying to improve grip for when the track isn’t in an ideal condition.”

Tech 3 Racing rider Smith continued to work on developing the brand new Mistral 610 machine which he only rode for the first time in Valencia last week.

The French-built machine features a new chassis and swingarm and Smith is still trying to tap into its potential.

He was eighth quickest with a best time of 1.43.8.

The 21-year-old told MCN: “We learned a lot again with the data we have from the last test here but obviously we don’t have the grip that we had at the November test because the track conditions weren’t fantastic. But by the end of the day we’d changed a lot of things and we’d found a good direction with the geometry.

“To finish the first day like this I am really happy and this bike is definitely a good step forward compared to what we had last year. We just need to find the full potential and close the gap the front boys.”

Gresini rider Gino Rea was 15th quickest with a best time of 1.44.4 which put him just behind reigning 125GP world champion Nicolas Terol and just ahead of 2010 Moto2 world champion Toni Elias.

Rea spent most of the first day working on the set-up of a new Moriwaki chassis and Showa suspension, with the Gresini squad switching from Ohlins in MotoGP too for Alvaro Bautista.