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***Malcolm*** · 04-02-2015, 10:46 AM

The first outing of 2015 will commence this week at the familiar Sepang International Circuit as the opening week of testing begins for the Monster Yamaha Tech3 riders. Pol Espargaro and Bradley Smith will be back in the saddle as they shake down after the long winter break and prepare for what will be a highly competitive year aboard their Yamaha YZR-M1's.

Pol Espargaro who impressed with his efforts to seize the rookie of the year accolade last season and finish as the leading satellite rider in the championship standings, will use the experience and knowledge which he gained in his debut year to step up and battle some of the factory MotoGP riders in 2015. On the other side of the Monster Yamaha Tech3 garage,Bradley Smith will be seeking to continue his strong end to 2014 and will look to lead the challenge for the top satellite bike this year. With both riders confident after a productive winter break where training for the upcoming season was the main objective, the first of the three testing events will commence on the 4th until the 6th of February.

Pol Espargaro :

"I had a great time relaxing for a short while in the winter, but it wasn't long until I got stuck into my thorough training programme for the upcoming season and now it's time to get back into gear which I can't wait to get started on. The stress and competition are something we, as riders, miss during the winter months because life is much slower when we are not racing! I am feeling optimistic about the season as this year we will begin with the experience that we lacked 12 months ago and this will be key to our success on track. It is extremely important as a rider to know the bike, the team, have references and understand how the crew are improving the bike, so we will begin with an upper hand but there is still a lot of margin to progress. We need to decide which direction to head towards and then adjust accordingly with the 2015 specification Yamaha YZR-M1 which I have already ridden in Valencia. In addition, I must work on myself as I still feel that I am a bit too aggressive on the bike and the Yamaha requires a smooth riding style in order to get the most out of it. However, this year I am certain I will improve this aspect and close in on the leading riders. My minimum overall target is to finish in the same place at last season, but of course, I want to be higher up. The competition will be stronger, but we will have to fight and I am ready to begin the battle at the first test in Sepang"

Bradley Smith :

"'I'm very excited to get 2015 underway with Monster Yamaha Tech3. This will be my third season with the team in the MotoGP class and I am grateful to Herve and Yamaha plus I look forward to continuing our relationship. We all know each other well and we've had two great learning years together so I am expecting bigger and better things in 2015, having already taken my debut podium last season. My ambition for the year will be to replicate another podium finish and we must really look at being the top satellite bike. This will entail a lot of hard work from now onwards but if we can continue the progress and the improvements we made in the latter part of last season, then we will surely get strong results. I am thrilled to be throwing my leg over the Yamaha again this week for the first Sepang test. We more or less know the 2015 package which we tested at Valencia in November, so this week will involve shaking off the cobwebs and adjusting back to riding at 350 km/h. I've had a really productive winter season where I've trained hard and ridden a lot, so I'm feeling optimistic and I am in good form to start working with the Yamaha YZR-M1 for a successful 2015 season"

Hervé Poncharal - Team manager :

"Now it is time to finally get the ball rolling and head back to the track for what will be a very important season for our riders and also the team which is in it's 15th year in MotoGP. It makes me proud to know that Guy Coulon and I have worked together for so long and provided platforms for riders to show their talents on. We have a great relationship with both Yamaha and Monster Energy as well as our other sponsors and I want to thank them all. This year will be a tough one for the guys, but everyone knows they are fast and amongst the world's best plus up for the fight. It looks like they had a good break and seem really fired up to get back on their Yamaha's. This week will ease them both back into the swing of things but we still have objectives and work to be done in preparation for the season opener in Qatar. Pol did a tremendous job last year in his rookie season and we hope he will continue to put all of his effort in to be the leading satellite bike and perhaps battle with some of the factory riders. As for Bradley, we have worked with him for a long time and this will be his third year in the premier class so we hope he can join his teammate in fighting for strong finishes and adding to his podium tally. Both of the riders have the potential to do really well and the team is all in it together with them for the fight. It's been a long wait over the winter months, but it's time to get the show back on the road"

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