Marc VDS poised for fresh MotoGP talks

Scott Redding’s Marc VDS Racing squad is poised to re-visit plans to move to the MotoGP class in 2014.

The Belgian-based squad, which currently runs Redding and Mika Kallio in Moto2 and highly-rated teenager Livio Loi in Moto3, has been linked with a move to MotoGP several times in the past.

The Marc VDS squad led early development of the Suter-BMW CRT project before opting to not switch to MotoGP for the 2012 campaign.

Team boss Michael Bartholemy then spoke at length with Ducati during the summer of 2012 about running the Bologna factory’s satellite squad before talks collapsed over a deal that could have seen Gloucestershire rider Redding on a Desmosedici this season.

Bartholemy though is still keen on a premier class switch in the future and he is seriously looking at the prospect of buying a production Honda RC213V or leasing a Yamaha YZR-M1 engine for 2014.

MCN understands the former factory Kawasaki boss has held brief talks with HRC at the end of last season bur he plans to instigate more detailed discussions with both Honda and Yamaha next weekend in Qatar when the new season kicks off.

Bartholemy told MCN: “We spoke a little bit to them at the end of last year but in the last few months we have not spoken much because we have concentrated on Moto2 and Moto3. I want to start this now from Qatar.

For us it is important to make the best job possible with both activities this year and from Qatar I will start chasing what possibilities we have for 2014. For me there is no preference. We have always said we would like to have a competitive bike and this is the only thing that’s important. We have some interest if it is a Yamaha or a Honda and that’s fine. Even if Ducati came back then we are open to talk to them. We always said we had some interest to make a deal with them and we are there to listen.”

As well as being Marc VDS Racing boss, Bartholemy doubles as Redding’s personal manager and he said he would be happy that both the Honda production bike and Yamaha YZR-M1 engine package would be competitive enough for the 20-year-old to show his full potential.

He added: “I have always hesitated when we have had offers to go to CRT and last year we had two offers to go because I don’t think for a rider like him it is the way to go. But if we have one of these bikes then it would be a good chance for him to show his real potential for a factory team. He is still young so a good plan for us in 2014 could be to have one MotoGP bike, one Moto2 and one Moto3.”

For Redding’s thoughts on his 2013 Moto2 world title prospects, see the April 3 issue of MCN that will include a special 16-page season preview.