[kropotkin thinks...] - Marc VDS Boss Michael Bartholémy Interview: On Scott Redding,

[Ninjette Newsbot]

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As well as speaking to Scott Redding about his aims for 2013 at the Marc VDS launch in Belgium, we also had the opportunity to interview Marc VDS Racing boss Michael Bartholémy. The German-speaking Belgian had a lot to say on his expectations, not just for Scott Redding and Mika Kallio in Moto2 this year, but also of the high hopes he has for Livio Loi, the 15-year-old Belgian youngster who will be racing in Moto3 for the team.

But perhaps most interesting of all, Bartholémy talked openly about what went wrong in the team's negotiations with Ducati last year. Through the middle part of 2012, it looked as if Marc VDS Racing was in the running to be managing the Ducati Junior team, with Scott Redding on one of the two satellite Ducati Desmosedicis. It did not work out, leaving Redding racing in Moto2 for another season. Bartholémy explains why. The Marc VDS boss also gives his vision on the production racers likely to be introduced for 2014, and how they affect the team's plans for next season. Here's the interview:

MotoMatters: It's going to be a big year for Marc VDS

Michael Bartholémy: Sure, but I think every year is always a big year! I think it's the first time that we really have a lot of stability. Even when we started the first year with Suter, we came very late with the idea of making Moto2, so I think half of the year we were still preparing the season a little bit. Then the second year, OK, we had a few issues with the bike, but now, I think we came out of a quite good season for what I call a North European team, not like Marquez or Espargaro has, so to finish 5th and 6th in the championship was not bad.

For sure we could make better over the last year, so I think that Scott had some small, mistakes, like Brno for sure was a mistake from his side, when he crashed in the first left corner. He should know it's always a little bit tricky there. Then when Elias put us out in the Sachsenring, that was not really helpful. And for sure our performance in the wet was not as good as it was in past years. So there I think that we have lost basically the third position of the championship doing this for five races.

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