Bradley Smith is promising to put it all on the line for the British fans tomorrow after a problematic qualifying session left him down in 28th place.
The Briton was hopeful of securing a strong grid position for his home race but an electrical problem with the Mistral 610 limited him to just two flying laps at the very end of the session.
Speaking after the session, Smith was frustrated at being face with having to scythe his way through the biggest field in the three Moto GP classes but he is relishing the challenge and the possibility of the weather lending a helping hand.
“I think just about everything that could go wrong did go wrong and that is frustrating. It wouldn’t have been a good time to have these problems at any race, but the fact that we encountered so many issues at my home track makes it a bit tougher to take. It is nobody’s fault but we had an electrical issue and at one stage I wasn’t even sure whether I could get a lap in that was going to be fast enough to stop me being last or even qualifying.”
“We have to look at the positives and before this afternoon I’ve been strong and competitive. And my mechanics did a great job because they got me out on track for the maximum time possible. Right at the end I was able to get two laps in, so at least we are not starting from last. Now we just have to wait and see what is going to happen with the weather. I’m confident in the wet or dry but starting from 28th is going to make it a difficult challenge. But I’ve shown many times this season that I can be aggressive and make lots of overtakes, so hopefully I’ll put on an exciting show for the British fans.”
Meanwhile, Tech 3 teammate Mike Di Meglio produced his best qualifying performance of the season so far, qualifying on the third row in ninth place. The Frenchman admits he is feeling more confident on the bike than at any stage so far this year and is hoping to convert it into some solid points tomorrow.
“For the first time this season I started the weekend well and I’ve been able to continue improving my fast pace. I hope tomorrow we will have dry weather, as I feel very comfortable and confident. If it is wet I have to cope with it as well but I think in the dry a top six is a realistic target.”
“The positive thing is I did my fastest laps on my own without following another rider, and this is an area we have aimed to improve this weekend. I want to thank my whole Team who did a great job supporting me. I tried to ride alone today and not to follow any other rider and I realised that I can be very fast without relying on somebody being in front to chase down. That’s given me a lot of confidence and I hope that I can be even better tomorrow.”
