Smith prepares to say goodbye to Tech 3

Bradley Smith (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) has been with the Tech 3 squad for six years – and that long and successful relationship is now set to come to an end as the British rider sets sail for new shores with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, alongside current Tech 3 teammate Pol Espargaro. After two podiums in the premier class – Phillip Island 2014 and Misano 2015 – Smith now becomes a full factory rider with the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing effort, as the Austrian squad set their sights high on their MotoGP™ debut.

After a tough latter half of the season following a crash in practice for the Oschersleben 8H that forced the Brit to sit out three races, Smith has nevertheless kept scoring points as he walks the long road back to full fitness; hoping to be able to end his time with Tech 3 on high.

Bradley Smith: "After a long time together, this week will be my final outing with Tech3. This season is my sixth year in this team and it goes without saying that it will be hard to say ‘Au Revoir’ to the crew on Sunday afternoon. The guys who I have worked with have always done a great job, which gives me full motivation for Valencia where I really hope to end on a high. The back-to-back events went well and I scored some valuable points despite my recovering knee, therefore in Spain, I will fight to be as close as I can to the leading satellite position. 2016 has not gone exactly to plan and it’s a pity to be finishing the year much further back from where I wanted to be in the rankings. However, we never gave up and after achieving sixth in the Grand Prix 12 months ago, I am confident of a positive conclusion. I won the 125cc race in 2010 at Valencia, the year before I joined Tech3, and the venue has been good to me so I am very confident about scoring a solid result for my team."