Bradley Smith: Pol Espargaro just another teammate

Bradley Smith says new Monster Yamaha Tech 3 teammate Pol Espargaro is just another rider he has to beat to safeguard his own MotoGP future beyond next season.

Current Moto2 world championship contender Espargaro will partner Oxfordshire rider Smith next season after the Tech 3 line-up was finalised following Cal Crutchlow’s decision to complete a two-year deal with Ducati’s factory squad.

Smith has raced to six top 10 finishes in the first half of his rookie premier class campaign in 2013 and speaking to MCN about the prospect of riding alongside Espargaro next year, the 22-year-old said: “Obviously it would have been nicer to keep Cal but he (Espargaro) just becomes another teammate next year. It is just another person you have got to try and beat and try and keep yourself ahead so you are in the window at the end of 2014 to hopefully move onto bigger and better things.”

For five pages of exclusive coverage on Crutchlow’s Ducati move and reaction from Smith, see today’s issue of Motor Cycle News.