Bradley Smith (motorcyclist)

Bradley Smith

Smith at the 2009 British Grand Prix.
Nationality British
Born November 28, 1990 (1990-11-28) (age 21)
Oxford, England
Current team Tech 3
Bike number 38
Website bradley-smith.co.uk
Motorcycle racing career statistics
Moto2 World Championship
Active years 2011
Manufacturers Tech 3-Honda
Championships 0
2011 Championship position 7th (121 pts)
Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points
16 0 3 0 1 121
125cc World Championship
Active years 2006–2010
Manufacturers Honda, Aprilia
Championships 0
2010 Championship position 4th (223 pts)
Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points
80 3 20 9 4 717.5

Bradley Smith (born November 28, 1990 in Oxford, Oxfordshire)[1] is an English motorcycle racer, currently competing in the Moto2 Grand Prix World Championship. He was a regular frontrunner in the 125cc class, recording three wins, twenty podium finishes as well as nine pole positions in his five seasons in the class. Eurosport commentators Toby Moody and Julian Ryder have frequently noted his reputation for being at his best while leading races.

Contents

Career

Early years

Smith's father raced in Motocross, and the family owned an open practice track. Smith got his first motocross bike aged six.[2]

Smith applied for selection to the Auto-Cycle Union (ACU) academy for young racers, but was never chosen. He spent a year in 2004 aged 13 competing in Aprilia Superteens competition, finishing fourth behind three ACU Academy riders. In January 2005 he was asked to compete for the year in the Spanish 125cc championship as part of the MOTO GP Academy, winning the last three races ending the year 2nd just one point behind the champion.

125cc World Championship

2006

For 2006, he joined the Repsol Honda 125cc Grand Prix World Championship squad, managed by Alberto Puig finishing 19th overall and rookie of the year, with a best result of 8th place in Motegi.

2007

Remaining with the team in 2007, he took a first podium with third place at Le Mans.[3] Nine more top-10 finishes left him 10th overall.

2008

Smith signed with the Polaris World Aprilia team for the 2008 season.[4] He secured his first pole position at the opening round of the season at the Losail International Circuit in Qatar on March 8,[5] but suffered a technical problem while leading.[6] A number of midseason injuries affected him,[7] but he scored podium finishes at Jerez and Le Mans (after briefly leading the five-lap sprint required by a red flag for rain). He led at both Assen and Sachsenring, but finished off the podium in both. He ended the season sixth overall, with three poles and four podium finishes but no victory.

2009

For the 2009 season, Smith signed for Jorge Martínez's Bancaja Aspar Racing Team to continue to ride an Aprilia, alongside Julian Simon. The deal also included an option to race in 250s for the team in 2010.[8] Smith had almost signed for the team in 2008, before signing for Polarisworld.[9]

Smith won his first ever Grand Prix with a dominant performance at Jerez in May 2009. Smith's first Pole Position of the season came at Mugello in which he scored his second Grand Prix victory after a brilliant fight against Nicolás Terol and Julian Simon. This race put Smith in the lead of the Championship with 74.5 points, just 3.5 points ahead of Simon. However, Simon hit form and ultimately won the title. Smith finished second to his team-mate in the last three races of the season, losing the lead on the final lap in two of them. He ultimately finished as series runner-up.

2010

In August 2009, Smith stated his ambition to move up to the new Moto2 class with the Aspar team,[10] but the team's two seats were given to Julian Simon and Mike Di Meglio instead. In November 2009, Smith agreed a deal to remain with the Aspar team in the 125cc class for 2010 alongside Nicolas Terol.[11]

Moto2 World Championship

2011

After the 2010 Portuguese Grand Prix, it was announced that Smith would be competing in Moto2 in 2011, racing for the Tech 3 team, alongside one of the riders that had denied him a Moto2 move a year previous, Mike Di Meglio.[12] On 19 September 2011, it was announced that Smith had signed a three-year contract with Tech 3 that would see him remain in Moto2 in 2012, before moving to MotoGP in 2013.[13]

Career statistics

By Seasons

Season Class Moto Team Race Win Pod Pole FLap Pts Plcd WCh
2006 125cc Honda RS125R Repsol Honda 14 0 0 0 0 20 19th –
2007 Honda RS125R Repsol Honda 16 0 1 0 0 101 10th –
2008 Aprilia RSA 125 Polaris World 17 0 4 3 0 150 6th –
2009 Aprilia RSA 125 Bancaja Aspar 16 2 9 3 3 223.5 2nd –
2010 Aprilia RSA 125 Bancaja Aspar 17 1 6 3 1 223 4th –
2011 Moto2 Tech 3 Mistral 610 Tech 3 16 0 3 0 1 121 7th –
Total 96 3 23 9 5 838.5 –

By class

Class Seas 1st GP 1st Pod 1st Win Race Win Podiums Pole FLap Pts WChmp
125 cc 2006–2010 2006 Spain 2007 France 2009 Spain 80 3 20 9 4 717.5 –
Moto2 2011 2011 Qatar 2011 Britain 16 0 3 0 1 121 –
Total 2006–Present 96 3 23 9 5 838.5 –

Races by year

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position)

Yr Class Bike 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Final Pos Pts
2006 125cc Honda SPA
17		 QAT
22		 TUR
Ret		 CHN
22		 FRA
21		 ITA
19		 CAT
16		 NED
16		 GBR
12		 GER
12		 CZE MAL AUS
28		 JPN
8		 POR
Ret		 VAL
12		 19th 20
2007 125cc Honda QAT
12		 SPA
26		 TUR
8		 CHN
8		 FRA
3		 ITA
8		 CAT
6		 GBR
7		 NED
DNS		 GER
8		 CZE
13		 RSM
8		 POR
12		 JPN
Ret		 AUS
16		 MAL
9		 VAL
8		 10th 101
2008 125cc Aprilia QAT
16		 SPA
3		 POR
Ret		 CHN
Ret		 FRA
2		 ITA
5		 CAT
14		 GBR
10		 NED
5		 GER
4		 CZE
6		 RSM
2		 IND
8		 JPN
Ret		 AUS
Ret		 MAL
2		 VAL
4		 6th 150
2009 125cc Aprilia QAT
5		 JPN
10		 SPA
1		 FRA
4		 ITA
1		 CAT
8		 NED
3		 GER
Ret		 GBR
20		 CZE
4		 IND
2		 RSM
3		 POR
3		 AUS
2		 MAL
2		 VAL
2		 2nd 223.5
2010 125cc Aprilia QAT
8		 SPA
4		 FRA
5		 ITA
4		 GBR
3		 NED
4		 CAT
2		 GER
5		 CZE
6		 IND
Ret		 RSM
4		 ARA
3		 JPN
3		 MAL
5		 AUS
5		 POR
3		 VAL
1		 4th 223
2011 Moto2 Tech 3 QAT
9		 SPA
4		 POR
29		 FRA
9		 CAT
19		 GBR
2		 NED
3		 ITA
3		 GER
Ret		 CZE
Ret		 IND
4		 RSM
6		 ARA
6		 JPN
7		 AUS
18		 MAL
DNS		 VAL
23		 7th 121

References

  1. ^ Official MotoGP profile
  2. ^ Shea, Julian (March 26, 2006). "Teenager Smith hits the big time". BBC News. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/motorbikes/4836008.stm. 
  3. ^ Only UK appearance for schoolboy racer Bradley Smith
  4. ^ Bradley Smith for full factory backed Aprilia 125
  5. ^ 2008 125cc Qualifying – Qatar
  6. ^ Bradley Smith column – Qatar
  7. ^ Bradley Smith almost fit – Sachsenring
  8. ^ Smith column – signing for Aspar
  9. ^ Aspar confirms Smith and Simon for 2009 125cc team
  10. ^ Bradley Smith for Moto2 in 2010
  11. ^ 125: Bradley Smith signs for 2010
  12. ^ "Smith and Di Meglio to front Tech 3 Moto2 effort next season". motogp.com. Dorna Sports. 31 October 2010. http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2010/Tech+3+announce+Smith+and+Di+Meglio+for+Moto2. Retrieved 1 November 2010. 
  13. ^ "Smith signs Tech 3 MotoGP deal". Carole Nash (Insidebikes). 19 September 2011. http://www.carolenash.com/insidebikes/bike-news/smith-signs-tech-3-motogp-deal.htm. Retrieved 19 September 2011. 

External links

MotoGP: Colin Edwards (5) | Cal Crutchlow (35)
Moto2 (Tech 3 Racing): Bradley Smith (38) | Mike di Meglio (63)
Moto2 (Tech 3 B): Xavier Simeon (19)
Grand Prix motorcycle : Yamaha YZR-M1 (MotoGP)
Mistral 610 (Moto2)