Smith is still only 22 years old, and joins the likes of Cal Crutchlow as UK riders can begin to dream of building a national superbike profile similar to that enjoyed by Spain. Of course there’s a long way to go before the British Moto GP riders can really challenge the likes of Marquez, Pedrosa and Lorenzo, but at least UK riders are beginning to form a presence in the sport.
Smith has had a series of ninth place finishes so far this season, and has even rose as high as sixth at the German Grand Prix and the Gran Premi Aperol De Catalunya.
At the most recent Hertz British Grand Prix at Silverstone, Smith finished a respectable ninth place once again, and claimed that he may have made the wrong tyre choice by opting for a softer rear tyre for enhanced grip. If the weather had gone his way the race may have been a whole lot different, but at least the young British rider seems like he’s building some decent consistency.
Bradley Smith currently sits a respectable eleventh in the championship standings and captured the headlines at the Italian Grand Prix after a horrific finger injury. A ninth place finish at Mugello had fans of the sport admiring Smith’s spirit in the face of adversity, in a trade where the threat of injury is ever present. Just take a look at Dani Pedrosa’s list of injuries and see how fraught with danger Moto GP can be: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dani_Pedrosa#Injuries.
If Smith is to sustain a decent challenge this season he needs to break more regularly into the top 6, from which a reputation as a real top rider might grow. Crutchlow is currently the most prized British rider and has just signed a lucrative deal with Ducati, but Crutchlow is five years Smith’s senior and there’s every chance the younger rider could emulate and even surpass his Yamaha Tech 3 counterpart.
We’ve just completed the twelfth race of an eighteen race season and it would be realistic for Smith to claim tenth position in the rider’s championship. He currently sits just two points behind Aleix Espargaro, and to break the top ten would be a sizeable achievement.
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