It's been too long since we last saw Bradley Smith at such a party. Since exactly his signing as an official KTM rider for 2017. Cause and effect? A slump after securing such a future? In MotoGP, however, it is better not to be forgotten for too long. And the Englishman woke up at the right time, saving the weekend for the Tech3 team.
Because, during this time, Pol Espargaro tripped over his feet. Qualified on the first part of the grid, Smith then surprised with a fiery start which positioned him squarely in the leading trio in the first turns: “ throughout the weekend I worked on my starts, more than usual, and it seems to have paid off since at the first turn I was third » commented the Briton. Of course, what followed was more complicated, but Smith was able to build its race on this successful start: “ My pace wasn't great at the start of the race but I wanted to stay close to those in front, because I knew it was going to improve. I took care of my tires, while remaining consistent. Petrucci tried to beat me in the last laps but my tank wasn't completely dry yet so I tapped into it at the very end of the race. I am very happy to finish first independent driver ».
What if this was Bradley's real start to the season. Because more than his KTM contract, it was the adaptation to the Michelins that retained the one that Tech3 trained and revealed: “ we modified the bike slightly compared to Le Mans, even though I already had a good feeling and I felt good. Finishing thirty seconds behind the winner is a good result. This proves that we are working in the right direction. After six events, we finally reached our level from last year. It took a while but we still have plenty of races ahead of us to recover the points we lost at the start of the season. In the end, my adaptation to the Michelin tires was a little slower compared to other drivers. But we are here, so I am confident for the next races ". Confirmation expected in Barcelona!
