Jerez MotoGP: Bradley Smith scores Jerez podium

Bradley Smith has scored the second podium of his GP career with a determined performance at the Jerez Grand Prix.

Smith secured a podium finish last season at Le Mans, but this is the first time he’s stepped up there with the Aprilia Polaris World team.

Smith was part of the front-running group for the entirety of the race, but he struggled to make passing maneuvers stick aboard the Aprilia.

In the closing stages the eventual winner Simone Corsi and second-place man Nicolas Terol gapped the following group of Smith, Bradl and Nieto.

And in the final lap Stefan Bradl desperately tried to find a way pass Smith, but the 17-year old from Oxford kept a cool head to hold off the surging German.

After the race Smith said: “It’s a great result for today. We knew our race pace wasn’t quite as good as our qualifying speed.

“The weather seemed to change during the race as well – it started really hot but then got cooler so that may have affected things.

“I made a mistake chasing Terol and Corsi and a mistake overtaking Terol put me back.

“Once the tyres started going off I couldn’t get back up with them and was left to battle with Bradl.

“I was determined to get on the podium, and after the disappointment of Qatar it was great to get a podium here.”

Scott Redding also impressed with a seventh position finish to back up his marvelous race at Qatar, while Danny Webb failed to finish.

Redding and Smith now sit seventh and eight respectively in the 125cc standings after two rounds.