The Monster Yamaha Tech3 team pairing of Pol Espargaro and Bradley Smith optimistically await the eighth round of the 2016 MotoGP season at the legendary Assen circuit where they aim to storm to two top tier results. This weekend’s Motul TT Assen will be the first time in the race's history that it will run on Sunday as opposed to Saturday, with the venue being the only one to have hosted a round of the Motorcycle World Championship every year since 1949.

Pol Espargaro will confidently set about following up his impressive finish of 5th at the last round in Cataluña with a strong showing aboard the Yamaha YZR-M1. The young Spaniard, who recently celebrated his 25th birthday, will seek to use the knowledge gained at the confidence boosting post Catalan Grand Prix test to make another step forward and consolidate his standing of 6th in the championship.

Meanwhile, Bradley Smith intends to determinedly battle his way to the top independent position in Sunday’s race and bounce back after an unfortunate mechanical issue caused him to retire at the last GP. The Briton, who holds a positive record at the Dutch venue, will look to begin the weekend with instant speed and complete the event with an notable performance in front of the passionate and festive crowd.

Pol Espargaro -  Championship: 6th Points: 59

"As always I am looking forward to heading back to the famous Assen circuit where I will carry on the fight to be as close to the factory MotoGP riders as possible. At the last round, which was my home GP, I was very happy to get 5th which equalled my best result of the season. Then, we undertook a useful test the following day and collected some important data, which will certainly help us in the future. Therefore, I am confident that we can have a positive weekend once again, in the Netherlands. For sure the weather will be important and there might be a chance of rain, so we really need to be focused from the first session onwards in order to be prepared in case of bad weather. However, I am determined to do well and it’s always a pleasure to ride at Assen."
 

Bradley Smith -  Championship: 12th Points: 29

 "The last GP ended in a disappointing way for me, yet, I know that I could have ended the Cataluña race well, so I will remain optimistic for the forthcoming Motul TT Assen. It will be the first time that we race there on a Sunday, and it goes without saying that I want to kick off the new schedule with a good performance. The circuit is definitely a unique one and it is a track where I have had success over the years, with two podium finishes in the lower classes. We still have some catching up to do on my teammate, but after the constructive test in Cataluña, I am certain we can get back to where we need to be. A lot of English fans make the journey over to the cathedral of speed so I will do my absolute best to give them a lot to cheer about."


Hervé Poncharal - Team manager :

“The Motul TT Assen is a very special race and with the track having so much history, it’s hard not to get excited about racing there. Surely, it will be another tough battle but the Yamaha suits the track well, due to its fast corners and the meandering layout. Therefore we are confident in saying that both of our guys can fight for the top independent position in Sunday’s event. Pol had a strong result last year plus after the encouraging week in Cataluña at the race and also in the test, we are certain that he is highly motivated for this event. I have no doubt that he will be aiming to leave the Netherlands as the best satellite rider for the fifth time this season. On the other side of the pit box, we expect Brad to be right with his teammate and fighting as close as possible to the factory MotoGP bikes. He is in the right frame of mind and has now adapted to the new tyres and electronics, even if it has taken him a little longer than some riders. Yet, we know that he will do his best, like always, so that he can leave this race in a positive way. We are all looking forward to the visiting the legendary venue and we can’t wait to get going.”