Bradley's Blog

Posted on Nov 12, 2015 by George Penny

It’s been an amazing season. More than anything finishing all 18 grands prix and in the top ten without one race crash and racking up 181 points which is more than ten a race averaging sixth position makes me very very proud of what we have achieved. Not only from me as the rider but also for the team not to make any technical mistakes in 18 long races and always giving me a bike that I can race to the limit while feeling safe. We have not missed a heartbeat all season long. Only me and Valentino Rossi scored points in every single race and that fact alone shows just what we have achieved together.

My start in the last race in Valencia was good once again but team-mate Pol ran me really wide for the second year in succession at turn two. I got shuffled back quite a few positions when he just got in too deep and knew he had to overtake me which was the correct race strategy but left me out in the marbles. I then set my pace and was able to claw myself back towards sixth position and was involved in an amazing battle with Petrucci, Aleix and Pol Espargaro and Valentino Rossi which was real fun for a period of time. Then the tyres started to drop and everybody separated going their own ways. Obviously it was key for me to finish in front of Andrea Dovizioso to keep sixth place in the Championship. I felt a bit sorry for him after his problems in Sepang and it was great to have a big fight on the last lap to cement that sixth place in the Championship. It was a great show but unfortunately nobody saw it on the TV because understandably they were focused on what was happening a little further in front.

I think the new World Champion Jorge Lorenzo did an amazing job in terms of riding at such a high level all season long. He made his mistakes but in terms of raw speed he was fantastic. In some ways it was a shame that the Championship had to go either way because Valentino himself has done a fantastic job especially with his consistency scoring in every race and those wins in some of the toughest races we’ve seen this year. His win at Silverstone in the rain stands out in my mind as really taking the fight to Jorge. It’s a shame there are not two World Champions but there is only one and one guy now has five World titles and the other is still one short of ten.

On the subject of World Champions congratulations to Danny Kent by going one better than me a taking that Moto3 World title. Whatever anybody says about his second half of the season he won that title by coming out of the box flying in the first half with some totally dominant and unbelievable performances. He did what he had to do in the second half to get the job done. I think his only mistake was in Aragon and once again his performance in the Silverstone rain winning by a country mile in front of the home fans stands alone. He did a great job and the first British World Champion since 1977 should make him very proud. All this should stand him in good stead in his new Moto2 career next season.

By the time you are reading this the 2016 season will have started here in Valencia at the two day test starting on Tuesday. It’s a crucial test with the new Michelin tyres and electronics. I will have ridden my bike on Tuesday and then on Wednesday Jorge or Valentino‘s factory Yamaha which we do every year. It will be great to ride the bike that won the World Championship and will be the bike I will ride next year.

Then I’m off to Italy for the big Motorcycle show before coming home for my 25 th birthday at the end of the month. I will be celebrating with family and friends getting older although I can’t lose any more hair. Then it’s off to Thailand for Yamaha visiting the Bangkok Motor Show and hopefully a motocross race before Christmas.

Thanks you so much for all your support and I hope you enjoyed the season as much as I did.
Bradley