Bradley Smith and Pol Espargaro started the first day of testing at Phillip Island confidently as they powered on despite the rain falling intermittently throughout the day. Even though the damp weather disrupted the testing plan, it allowed the Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team to gather valuable data and also test the new wet Michelin tyres as they prepare for the forthcoming season.

Bradley Smith got straight to work and keenly set about experimenting with the electronics and the setup, which he established at the Sepang test, before completing 27 laps, as he finished the day strongly in third and just one tenth back from second place. Whilst Pol Espargaro, continued his efforts for the impending season as he used the weather to build confidence with his wet setup. The 2013 Moto2 World Champion undertook a total of 20 laps and set his fastest time on his final run which left him just half a second back from his teammate and confident of improving tomorrow with dry weather conditions expected.

Bradley Smith - Position : 3rd Time : 1'32.590 Laps : 27

"To be honest I’m quite pleased with how today went. It goes without saying that the weather interfered a bit, but it was actually quite positive because it meant that we could really focus on the small details whilst we were waiting for the rain to stop. The electronics take a lot of time to adjust, so having some big breaks due to the weather meant that we could do this and there was no stress or rushing. When I went out onto the track, we knew that we only had a handful of laps and I had to really concentrate so that we could narrow down the right choice of setting. The good thing is that I have quite a positive feeling already, even if it’s only after 7 or 8 laps in the dry, which is very important as I struggled here all weekend last year. In addition, I really enjoyed myself in the wet and had a lot of confidence riding in it, which is a big plus. It looks like the base setting that we worked towards in Sepang is performing well here already, albeit with a few small adjustments. This proves that we are heading in the right direction at the moment and hopefully tomorrow we can gain more valuable information with some dry laps.”

Pol Espargaro - Position : 7th Time : 1'33.126  Laps : 20 

"Today, we can’t really say how the test went because neither me nor the other riders really lapped a lot in the dry or the wet conditions. We all rode only a few laps and the times were really far back from the pace that we should be riding at. However, I had a satisfying run in the wet as we tested some electronic settings, yet unfortunately we weren’t able to re-confirm the information that we gained as the track began to dry. Almost the exact same thing happened when I went out on slick tyres and I had to come back in the pits after only a couple of laps. It’s a real pity that we couldn’t make more of today, but the forecast says that the conditions should improve tomorrow, so I’m looking forward to getting back on my bike and finally enjoying this amazing track.