Bradley Smith unhurt in first MotoGP crash

British rider Bradley Smith walked away unhurt from a high speed crash on the opening day of the second Sepang test in Malaysia today.

The Monster Yamaha Tech 3 rider had just set a personal best time of 2.03.632 on his 24th lap when he suffered his first crash on a YZR-M1 machine on the very next lap.

The 22-year-old lost the front-end at the third gear Turn 7 but he was able to walk away unhurt from the spill.

Smith, who ended the opening day in 10th position after the afternoon session was badly disrupted by heavy rain showers, admitted he had got a couple of warnings on previous laps that he brushed off.

Smith had been using the same set of tyres for all of his previous 24 laps and he told MCN: “In a strange way the crash was beneficial because I had a few warning moments on a couple of laps beforehand. But I don’t know the warning signs at the moment and today was something I’ve learned. It was trying to tell me something that I didn’t know what I should be listening for.

That’s another box ticked because I know now when the front is a bit sensitive, I know the feeling I am get. I was having moments at slower corners but I kind of shrugged them off because I am still a bit naïve and new to it all. Now obviously I know that feeling is trying to tell me something but I never got that feeling in the first test at all.

A crash is never ideal but if I look at the positive at least I know where the limit is now. I’d done 24 laps on a set of tyres and I was going faster than I had done all day. I was closing the gap to the front guys on an old set of tyres. I can make up a million excuses but it was my fault. But on old tyres I didn’t know what the warning signs are and now I do.”

For full coverage of the second Sepang test, see the March 6 issue of Motor Cycle News