Monster Yamaha Tech 3’s Bradley Smith has said that he is ‘confident’ of achieving a strong result on his final appearance with the French team before departing for KTM next season.
The British rider announced on the eve of racing this season that he would be spearheading the Austrian manufacturer’s return to the premier class in 2017. Smith has been a part of the Tech 3 fold since his Moto2 days in 2011. The partnership in the intermediate class yielded three podium finishes, with Smith achieving a best of second at the 2011 British Grand Prix.
Smith made the step up to the MotoGP World Championship with the French outfit in 2013, enjoying a strong rookie campaign in which he finished inside the points on all but three occasions. The Briton took the team’s first podium in over a year in the 2014 Australian Grand Prix, and secured a premier class career-best second a year later in San Marino after a heroic ride in treacherous conditions.
2016 hasn’t exactly gone accordingly for Smith or Tech 3. Struggles early-season with the set-up of his YZR-M1 saw strong results elude him, whilst injury sidelined him for three Grand Prix including his home round. His return to action at the flyaway races have seen him put in some gritty performances, and he is keen to carry that on at this weekend’s season finale in Valencia.
Ricardo Tormo has been a happy hunting ground for Smith in the past. He won the 2010 125cc race and finished second the year before. In MotoGP, he has finished inside the top 10 for the past three seasons and claimed sixth in last year’s race. Disappointed to be so far down the championship order in 18th, Smith is hoping his prosperous past at the Spanish venue will see him climb up the order a few positions to end the season on a high.
“After a long time together, this week will be my final outing with Tech 3. This season is my sixth year in this team and it goes without saying that it will be hard to say ‘Au Revoir’ to the crew on Sunday afternoon,” said Smith.
“The guys who I have worked with have always done a great job which gives me full motivation for Valencia where I really hope to end on a high. The back-to-back events went well and I scored some valuable points despite my recovering knee, therefore in Spain I will fight to be as close as I can to the leading satellite positions.
“2016 has not gone exactly to plan and it’s a pity to be finishing the year much further back from where I wanted to be in the rankings. However, we never gave up and after achieving sixth in the Grand Prix 12 months ago, I am confident of a positive conclusion. I won the 125cc race in 2010 at Valencia, the year before I joined Tech 3, and the venue has been good to me so I am very confident about scoring a solid result for my team.”
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