Thrilling third position for Smith on day one at Silverstone

Posted on Aug 28, 2015 by Monster Yamaha Tech 3

Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team rider Bradley Smith produced a superb start at his home Grand Prix weekend by storming to 3rd place overall at the end of the first day of action. The British rider, who is looking to conquer the 12th round challenge with a top point scoring result, kicked off proceedings at Silverstone by finishing the opening practice in 7th position aboard the Yamaha YZR-M1. This left him optimistic for the afternoon session where he sought to continue making adjustments to the setup of his MotoGP bike.

When FP2 began, Smith determinedly pulled out of the pit lane and got straight to work in front of his fans. In the final third of the practice, the young Briton delivered a superb time of 2’02.531 on his 13th lap which saw him end the day in the top three and merely 0.193 back from the leading time. His confident run today leaves him fully charged for a strong performance in qualifying tomorrow.

  
Bradley Smith: – Position: 3rd– Time: 2'02.531– Laps: 28
"It was a great start to my home GP and it’s clear to see that the Yamaha is working really well here for me. I always have good confidence when I compete at Silverstone, especially with my riding style, and I’m not afraid of high speed circuits as we saw at Phillip Island last year. Initially we struggled a bit in FP1 as the track conditions were not fantastic, but in the afternoon the grip levels increased and we were then able to analyse both compounds of front and rear tyres which was positive. We are unsure of what the temperature will be on Sunday, so we need to be ready for anything. Yet, it’s fantastic to start the British GP in this manner and after signing my contract, there is no stress and I can completely focus on my job. The team made a fantastic effort today but of course, we expect the other guys to catch up tomorrow. Nevertheless, our performance here means that we can start FP3 with confidence as we aim to continue improving whilst working on the base setup for the race. Also, I must give a big thanks to everyone for coming out today and we’ll see what we can do tomorrow."