Bradley Smith replaces injured Leonardo Taccini for Argentinean Round

Posted on Oct 13, 2022 by George Penny

Bradley Smith will be Ten Kate Racing’s replacement for Leonardo Taccini at the Argentinian round of the FIM Supersport World Championship next weekend. The Italian broke his wrist in Portimão last weekend and is therefore unable to take part in the race weekend at the Circuito San Juan Villicum.

Smith has a lot of experience as a Grand Prix rider but is still a newcomer to the WorldSBK championship. He made his debut in the 125cc world championship in 2006 and became vice world champion in that class in 2009. In 2011, he moved to the Moto2 class where podium finishes were immediately achieved before making his debut in the MotoGP class in 2013. Smith rode there for six years as a full-time rider and finished on the podium twice.

In recent years, Smith has been active in the MotoE class and the Endurance World Championship. On the weekend of 21 to 23 October, he will make his debut in the World Supersport class at the Circuito San Juan Villicum in Argentina, which is new to him.

Bradley Smith:
“What a great opportunity for me to join the Ten Kate Racing team. After a tough season with injuries, it’s a great way to end the year, so thank you to the team for asking me for the Argentinian round. There is a lot coming at me in Villicum: the bike, the tyres, the track and the WorldSBK championship are all new to me. But having been on the circuit in Portimão, I’m looking forward to being part of an ultra competitive World Supersport category.”

Kervin Bos – Ten Kate Racing team manager:
“First of all, we are extremely sorry that Leonardo Taccini cannot participate in Argentina due to his broken wrist. Surely that was an important weekend for us as we would have ridden with him there last year, unfortunately the injury makes that impossible. Because of this, we welcome Bradley Smith to the team, a well-known name in the motorsport world. We are very curious to see what we can achieve with him in Argentina. It will be a busy few weeks with races following each other in quick succession. We are looking forward to working with Bradley and will of course do everything we can to tune the Yamaha YFZ-R6 to him as much as possible, so he can show the best of himself. We wish Leonardo well and hope to see him back on his own bike soon.”