Bradley Smith - Photo Credit: Tech 3
Bradley Smith has stressed that he is simply concentrating on finishing the Valencian Grand Prix despite qualifying up in 12th place. The Briton is making his return to racing after injuring his collarbone in Malaysia and is keen to avoid a repeat of what happened two weeks ago.
“First of all I want to thank my trainer, my physio and also the Clinica Mobile staff for getting me out on track after I injured my shoulder in Sepang. This weekend has not been comfortable, but it is so nice to actually be here participating in the final round. The qualifying session was all about who wanted to take the most risks on a wet track. Considering I’m not at 100 per cent physically, I’m happy with 12th position and it means we have got a decent starting position for tomorrow and now we have to wait and see what will happen with the weather for the race.”
“My objective is just to see the chequered flag. I have worked so hard to get here and the last thing I want to happen is another crash. We need to sign off this season in a positive way because it has been a fantastic rookie season. I’ve enjoyed the challenge a lot and being part of the Tech 3 Team is fantastic. Once tomorrow’s race is out of the way we start preparing for 2012 on Monday and I’m excited about that.”
Teammate Mike Di Meglio will start his final race for Tech 3 from ninth on the grid and is hoping to repay the support from his mechanics with a good result. The Frenchman is also unconcerned by the unpredictable weather which could create problems tomorrow.
“The rain meant it was a very short session but I will start the race from ninth position and that is not a bad result. In those situations it is easy to be way down the grid, and getting in a fast lap time before the rain came was not easy. I had to pass a lot of slow riders and I was quite angry because I knew I could be a lot faster and been further up the grid. On my best lap I made a little mistake and it ended in a big high-side, so I can’t be too unhappy to be on the third row. Now we just have to wait and see what the weather will be like tomorrow because it has been changing constantly all weekend. Whatever the conditions I will be giving my maximum effort tomorrow in my last ride for Tech 3. My crew have supported me a lot this season and I am grateful for that, so hopefully I will be able to sign off with the best possible result.”
