Tech3 duo head south, ready for action in Argentina

Posted on Apr 24, 2014 by Monster Yamaha Tech 3

This week Bradley Smith and Pol Espargaro head to Argentina aiming to build on their positive form shown so far this season, at the exciting new Termas de Rio Hondo circuit, for round 3 of the 2014 MotoGP World Championship.

After an absence of fifteen years, the MotoGP paddock returns to Argentina at the fast and meandering Circuito Termas de Rio Hondo, located in the province of Santiago del Estero, which hosts its inaugural MotoGP event. The young line up of the Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team will compete on the 4,806 metre circuit, which features a long back straight of just over 1 kilometre in length, with five left corners and nine right.

Bradley Smith aims to continue his confident start to the season and assert himself as the leading satellite MotoGP bike in Argentina, having finished with a personal best position of 5th in Texas.

Bradley Smith:
“For sure it will be very exciting for all of us to return to Argentina after so many years. The fans there have so much passion and I am truly looking forward to the race on this brand new circuit of Termas de Rio Hondo. All the facilities are partly still under construction, so it's a big step into the unknown. After my best ever result, and finishing as the leading Yamaha in Texas, I am determined to carry on this positive display. The Yamaha feels great and I am pleased with my performance over race distance, so for sure with a big team effort we will be able to get a competitive result in Argentina this weekend”.

Herve Poncharal:
“Firstly, I want to say that it is fantastic that the MotoGP World Championship is back to Argentina for the first time since 1999. The new track looks interesting, and I’m convinced it will offer some brilliant racing for the fans and audiences, as the initial races have done this year so far. In terms of expectations, I am really pleased with Bradley’s and Pol’s performances at Texas. They both worked hard, and finished as the leading Yamahas scoring their best ever results, so it would be an understatement to say we won’t aim for a similar result this weekend. As no one has raced here before, it will be a big learning curve for everyone, but both riders have a chance to achieve good results and collect important points for the championship. I cannot wait to see the GP bikes run at the Termas de Rio Hondo circuit”.