Mugello saw Bradley Smith back to his best after a difficult start to the year. Having shone so bright in 2015, many were expecting a lot of the Brit but adjusting to the new Michelin tyres proved somewhat of a challenge. His adaptation now appears complete, the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 rider taking seventh, his best result of the year, in Italy. After a weekend away from his M1, they will be reunited I Barcelona for round seven of the MotoGP™ World Championship. In 2015 he scored an incredible fifth place at the track, a result that will be hard to beat even with the perfect setup on his satellite YZR-M1. Smith has taken just a single podium finish at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, when he was second in the 125cc race back in 2010. Ending as the top Independent Team rider remains Smith’s goal, but his teammate Pol Espargaro looks set to put up a fierce fight at his home track. Smith is currently 12th overall with 29 points, the top ten seven points away from him.
Bradley Smith: “As always, I am confident of hitting the ground running in Barcelona and I am certain that I can carry on the positive momentum from the last GP. The Cataluña circuit is one of the best that we visit and it has a good mix of corners and straights, which make it physical and demanding but great fun to ride. Last year I finished as the leading satellite rider in fifth, the result may be a bit more difficult to achieve this year because the level of competition has risen, but I will still give it everything I’ve got to score a solid position. It may have taken me a bit longer than some other rides to adapt to the Michelin tyres, but we have made the step and I can now get the results that I want and need to. This weekend I will be gunning for the top independent team position and I know Pol will be strong there, so I’ll do my best to beat him at his home GP.”