Tech3 ready to power through the heat to success in Sepang

Posted on Oct 22, 2014 by Monster Yamaha Tech 3

Monster Yamaha Tech3 team rider Bradley Smith heads to the world famous Sepang International Circuit for his last flyaway race this weekend and is poised for further strong results at the Shell Advance Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix.

The 5543 metre track is located approximately 50 kilometres south of the country’s capital, Kuala Lumpur and was constructed in 1998, with the inaugural MotoGP race occurring a year later. The circuit is considered one of the finest on the planet and sets the standard for all Grand Prix tracks in terms of facilities and layout. There are five left corners and ten right turns with varying degrees of angles and speed. The circuit ensures a thoroughly entertaining and memorable battle at every visit with plenty of fierce overtaking at the 25 metre wide, ultra modern track.

Bradley who rode to his first ever podium in the MotoGP class at the last race in Phillip Island, is aiming to continue his excellent form. He intends to seize a high flying finish to further his ambition of clinching 6th place in the championship standings as the season nears completion.

Bradley Smith: – Championship: 8th – Points: 108
"After the fantastic podium experience at Phillip Island, I am feeling really optimistic for the next round in Sepang, where I will be pushing once again to be the quickest satellite bike. I have had some good results here in previous years and we undertook a positive pre season test earlier this year. Therefore we have some valuable knowledge of the track which should enable us to hit the ground running. The circuit is one of the best on the calendar and it really is fantastic to ride around with its massive variety of corner styles and speeds, as well as the two long straights. There’s always a lot of overtaking but I am ready for the challenge and I fully intend to get into the top six again. The weather situation can be a bit tricky in Malaysia, so we will have to keep that in mind for the weekend with some possible showers occurring. Still, I am excited to be back on the Yamaha for the final race in the east and I will be riding at full throttle to get another top finish."

Hervé Poncharal - Team Manager:
"It has been a long trip to the other side of the world for the three flyaway races but we have had some great results, particularly Bradley’s maiden podium in Phillip Island. This weekend we will compete at Sepang, which is one of the best tracks we visit as the Malaysia people always do a brilliant job to ensure that the circuit is well prepared. We had a good pre season test here with both of our guys putting a huge amount of effort in, so we are feeling confident for this weekend and will aim to be the top satellite bikes. Bradley definitely had a superb race in Australia with the excellent rostrum finish which was his first in only his second season in the premier class. He will take the positive confidence to Sepang where he will continue to try his best and build on the result from last week. The team and I expect him to be attacking in the top six. We all look forward to the Sepang race in front of the passionate crowd who adore our sport as we try to entertain them with our best efforts before heading home to Europe."