MarcVDS Moto2 rider Scott Redding was narrowly beaten to pole position for tomorrow's Phillip Island encounter, holding top spot in a rain-hit qualifying session on the new 2012-spec Suter MMXII frame and swingarm package.
The youngster set the fastest time early on and then rain began to fall with the track only drying out with a few minutes to spare. He eventually finished in fourth, just off the front row, on a bike he hadn't even had a chance to test before the weekend.
“I’m not disappointed that I didn’t get pole position but there was a point where I was thinking I hope we get a monsoon so I could stay in first. When it started raining it was quite heavy, so I was thinking it was never going to dry up and pole would be mine," said Redding.
"I got in one fast lap at the end when I needed to and I’m happy about that because the pressure was on and the track conditions weren’t perfect. I can’t be too disappointed to be fourth on a bike I’ve never even had chance to test. We made a change for qualifying because I was struggling a bit to get into the low 35s this morning and immediately the bike felt awesome. It was a gamble that’s paid off and tomorrow I’m sure like last year we’ll be fighting for the podium."
