BRITISH FANS will have one more familiar face to cheer on when the 2019 British MotoGP gets underway at August 23-25 following confirmation ex-MotoGP rider Bradley Smith will line up on the Moto2 grid at Silverstone.
In what will be his first Moto2 start since Valencia 2012 when he made the jump to MotoGP – where he’d race for six seasons – Smith has been courted by the Petronas Sprinta team to ride in place of Khairul Idham Pawi, who is currently out with injury.
The deal to bring Smith into the team is motivated by the Briton’s role with the same outfit’s MotoE effort. The electric series won’t be racing at Silverstone, freeing up Smith to be one of 3 confirmed British entries on the intermediate grid alongside Sam Lowes (Gresini) and Jake Dixon (Angel Nieto Team)
“Honestly, it’s going to be quite strange to jump onto a Moto2 bike for the first time since 2012, because the championship has changed quite a lot.
“I’ve followed the changes very closely with the new engine and a little more torque and power, but it’s still going to be very different for me. I’m excited for the opportunity though! I had a fantastic time last year at the British Grand Prix, qualified really well, and missed out being able to race in front of the fans, so to be able to turn up for my home race again will be amazing.
"My target for the weekend is to have fun, to do the best I can, and to come away on Sunday with something to be proud of. I’ve got no idea how it’ll work, having to learn a bike, a track and tyres on a normal GP weekend, but it’s something I’m very excited for!”
Out of MotoGP but Bradley Smith still busy in 2019
Though Smith’s MotoGP career has stalled after he was dropped by KTM after two seasons at the end of 2018, he has still made three starts in 2019 via his role as Aprilia Racing development rider.
In addition, Smith – who also raced with Tech 3 Yamaha for four years - has been one of the higher profile competitors in the MotoE World Cup, riding under the One Energy Racing banner, which is directly linked to both Petronas Sprinta Racing (Moto2 and Moto3) and the Petronas SRT Yamaha MotoGP team.
After two rounds of MotoE and two podiums, Smith sits second in the standings with four races remaining at Misano and Valencia.
