Smith confident on opening day at Qatar

Posted on Mar 17, 2016 by Monster Yamaha Tech 3

​Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team rider Bradley Smith kicked off his 2016 campaigns and hit the track with instant speed in the first shakedown in Qatar as he began setting up his Yamaha MotoGP bikes for Sunday’s first round battle.

Bradley leapt into gear as he confidently began the 2016 season and after consistently gaining speed, he set his fastest time on his 13th lap whilst aiming to improve further. Yet, a small crash at turn 13, close to the end of the session, prevented Smith from ascending any higher. However, the young British remains fully confident of bouncing back strongly tomorrow.

Bradley Smith: – Position: 11th – Time: 1'56.524 – Laps: 17
"It was a positive start to this Grand Prix, but it was really unfortunate to end the first night with a crash. I felt very comfortable and confident with the Yamaha along with the hard Michelin tyre and I did a long run at the beginning of the session. We then changed to the tyres that I preferred to use at the test here, and unfortunately, I made a small mistake in turn 13 which caused me to lose the front. Anyway, for me it was vital to get the data about both tyre options during the first night, in order to have a clear direction to follow for the remainder of the weekend. We will continue to push forward inside the top ten, because I am convinced that without the crash, I could have ended the session there. This is a good step forward compared to the test, so now we will repair the bike, check the data and come back a bit stronger tomorrow.”