Bradley Smith admitted to being ”a little frustrated” with fourth despite a strong return to form at the Indianapolis Grand Prix. After qualifying fourth, the Briton was involved in the fight for the podium places throughout the race, eventually losing out to Marc Marquez, Esteve Rabat and Pol Espargaro.
Speaking after the race, Smith admitted that it was important to get some points on the board after two successive retirements, and hopes that he can go one better next weekend at Misano.
“Fourth position is a little bit frustrating as we were all working for a podium all weekend. It was a great race but to get so close to the podium and see it all through the entire race is a little bit disappointing. But we got some really important points back in the Championship and I’m firmly in the hunt for third overall, which in my rookie season is a fantastic achievement.”
“After not finishing the last two races in Sachsenring and Brno, completing the race distance meant that we learnt a lot. We are able to take the data with us and analyse it for the final part of the season to improve the bike even more because we already have a really competitive package. There are a few things that we need to work on, especially with rear grip. That’s where Rabat and Espargaro seemed to have a slight advantage today. I need to say a big thanks to my Team though who have done an incredible job once again this weekend. Now I am ready to get home for a brief rest before getting ready to return strong for Misano.”
Tech 3 Team Manager Herve Poncharal was delighted after the latest in a string of impressive performances in Smith's rookie year. With six races remaining, Poncharal is setting his sights on securing third place in the championship.
“The last two races in Germany and Czech Republic were bad results for the Tech 3 Racing Team but we are so glad to see Bradley back at the front where we know he can be. He finished fourth in qualifying and fourth in the race, but that doesn’t tell the whole story. He made an incredible start to get the holeshot and was leading the race and never gave up. Marc Marquez was in a race of own today but Bradley was also very strong and I am happy that we are back in the battle for third place in the Championship. We are sixth now, but only four-points away from third, so we are right back in the hunt. I hope we are going to carry on like that for the next races because Bradley is having a fantastic rookie season.”
