Bradley Smith: ‘I don’t want season to end’

Bradley Smith is wishing his promising rookie MotoGP campaign wasn’t drawing to a conclusion, as the British rider looks to clinch a fourth straight top seven finish in this weekend’s Twin Ring Motegi clash in Japan.

The 22-year-old equalled his best result of sixth position in last weekend’s historic dry flag-to-flag race in Australia and he still has an outside chance of snatching ninth in the overall rankings from factory Ducati rider Nicky Hayden.

Smith hasn’t finished lower than seventh position since rider position tweaks in a post race test session at Misano last month improved his confidence and feeling with Yamaha’s YZR-M1 machine and he told MCN in cool and wet conditions in Japan today that he was hoping a few more races would help him build on his momentum.

The Monster Yamaha Tech 3 rider said: “Everything seems to have gone quite well from the Misano test. The Misano race was a disaster but it seems that since the test there the new riding position and bike setting has helped me chip away and we have got closer and closer. It is almost a shame that the season is coming to an end but this is what happens in your rookie year. You keep on learning new things and I am glad I haven’t got to a plateau and I have been learning all season and progressing all season. I’ve still got another two opportunities to improve on my sixth position as a best result and I think 10th is the best we can look for in the championship. I’m not sure I can gain anything else but I am only 12-points behind Nicky, so I will continue to push.”