MOTO3 TEAM HEADS TO MUGELLO FOR ITALIAN GRAND PRIX

The Moto3 World Championship paddock heads to Italy this weekend for the Brembo Grand Prix of Italy at the Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello, following a one-week break after the Monster Energy Grand Prix of Catalunya.

Eddie O’Shea and Joel Kelso arrive at the seventh round of the season determined to continue making progress aboard the Honda and build momentum during the early stages of the campaign.

On one side of the garage, the British rider heads to Mugello after securing his two strongest performances of the season so far, including a career-best ninth-place finish in Le Mans and an impressive comeback ride in Catalunya, where he crossed the line in 11th position.

Starting from 15th on the grid in Montmeló, O’Shea not only showed competitive pace throughout the weekend, but also demonstrated improved race management in the closing stages despite struggling with front tyre wear around the Catalan circuit.

Eddie O’Shea: I’m really happy with the race I had in Barcelona. The opening laps were super tricky because I didn’t have a great feeling at first, as I’m not used to running the hard front tyre. But from Practice and Qualifying we understood that the softer front option wouldn’t last the race distance.

So we went with the harder option, and it took me a few laps to understand the feeling and adapt to it. I’m looking forward to Mugello, where we’ll have another opportunity to keep working with the bike and hopefully improve on last year’s P18.

On the other side of the garage, Australian rider Joel Kelso arrives in Italy determined to bounce back after a difficult weekend in Barcelona and rediscover the strong feeling with the Honda that he showed in Le Mans.

Despite starting from the third row of the grid in Catalunya, Kelso spent the race battling in the second group before eventually crossing the line in 18th position.

Joel Kelso: Overall, it was a really difficult race day. We struggled to find the right solution to be competitive with the Honda, but this is all part of the process.

We’ll keep working hard to understand the bike better and adapt my riding style to the Honda, especially in race conditions.

Having already arrived at Mugello, the team now looks ahead to what is expected to be a hot and demanding race weekend with determination and confidence as they aim to continue their progress.