Smith: I need to get away at the start

Tech 3 Yamaha’s Bradley Smith says that the most crucial part of tomorrow’s Valencia MotoGP race for him will be the first five laps, as he tries to maintain his top six qualifying spot while his machine comes together for him.

Struggling like former Tech 3 Yamaha rider Cal Crutchlow before him in the opening few laps of the race, preventing him from getting the best from new tyres and bridging the ultra-fast Ducatis, he says he needs to play a smart game for the beginning of the race.

“We can set the bike up to be consistent, and when the tyres start to go I can maintain a lap time – but we can’t make it go any faster with a full fuel tank.

“I can’t extract the maximum form a new set of tyres – but I can hold people up in the first five laps, I can ride defensively, I can ride tactically – especially at Valencia. I’ll wait and see how the start goes; hopefully I’ll be just behind the top three into turn one and we’ll see how it goes from there.

“I have to be a second ahead of the Ducatis before we get to the main straight, because the speed of the bike is phenomenal. Fingers crossed I can have a bit of a gap on them, try and ride my own race, and then go a little and not get held up with that extra speed.”