Bradley Smith secured his second podium in a row with another impressive ride in today's Dutch TT. The Briton led the race for a long spell before settling for third behind Marc Marquez and Kenan Sofuoglu.
Drizzle was in the air before the race started and the track slowly dried out, with the Tech 3 star taking the early lead from Simone Corsi. He remained in front until Sofuoglu went through at half distance but Smith was always in contention, eventually choosing the safer option as Marquez took the victory with Sofuoglu second.
Smith later added that he loved the opportunity to lead the Grand Prix in some of the toughest conditions he had competed in.
“It was really hard work today because the conditions were so varied you had no idea what to expect from one lap to the next. At the start of the race I felt really comfortable, especially on a wet track. But once it started to dry I started to suffer a little bit. When I was at the front and the track was pretty damp, that’s when I felt at my best. We went very cautious with the set-up making sure we could get full grip if the rain came down.”
“The racing line got bigger and bigger and I think we ran a set-up that was a little bit too soft for those conditions. When it started to rain again and I knew I had a chance of the podium I just did the sensible thing and took the 16-points. It kept drying out and I found it more difficult, but to get that result was absolutely awesome. I love Mugello so hopefully I’ll be very competitive there next weekend too.”
Today's result moves Smith into fourth place in the championship standings, and team manager Herve Poncharal believes that the 20 year old has already established himself as one of the top riders in the intermediate class.
“I am very happy with Bradley once again because he is showing race after race that he is definitely a top five rider on any track in any condition in Moto2. The race was very long for my old heart. In those conditions it is so easy to make a mistake and I was worried a bit. But just like in Silverstone, Bradley had everything under control and he did an amazing job. His ride was a masterpiece and he was very mature. He did not try too hard in the end because third is a great result and we are now fourth in the championship, only a few points away from second. To be at that level at this stage of the season shows what a brilliant job he is doing.”
