Smith powers to 4th on day one at windy Silverstone

Posted on Aug 29, 2014 by Monster Yamaha Tech 3

Monster Yamaha Tech3 rider Bradley Smith undertook a lightening start on home turf by storming to 4th position as the leading Yamaha in the combined standings on the opening day of action at Silverstone.

The 23 year old rider completed the first session with a best time of 2'04.609, only four tenths of a second back from 5th despite the low track temperatures, strong wind and slight spots of rain. The weather remained unchanged in the afternoon at the 5900 meter Silverstone circuit where Smith braved the conditions with determination to forcibly post a best time of 2'03.070 aboard his Yamaha YZR-M1.

The British star improved his morning time by over one and a half seconds and was a blink of an eye behind 3rd position with a gap of only 0.059. His electric start to the 12th MotoGP event of the year, sees him prepared for the qualifying assault tomorrow where he will confidently intend to seize a place on the front two rows for the 20 lap dash on Sunday.

Bradley Smith: Position: 4th – Time: 2'03.542 – Laps: 33
"It was a positive first day and I'm very happy to kick off my home Grand Prix in this manner. I feel happier and more confident than I did twelve months ago and here the bike is working great and the grip is good with the tyres. We haven't changed too many settings since Brno, just a few minor alterations to compensate for this track as well as the wind here which is particularly strong at the rear of the circuit. There is still a degree to improve, namely in the fast corners where there a few more bumps this year, so we will work on trying to find the setting to run smoothly over these. Of course, we need to carry on this forward momentum, therefore the next step is to get a good rhythm and then run 2'02 lap times. So all in all I am very happy, but I must say that it is fantastic to see so many fans here especially as it was a Friday so the support I received has been great and really helps me!"