The Clock Keeps Ticking for Bradley Smith

That the world keeps spinning and the clock never stops is one of the few constants in life. For a MotoGP rider, that is even more true. For one in a contract year, it always seems to speed the process up throughout a campaign.

Bradley Smith had to deal with the pressures of expectation last year, and he knows that teething issues will be no excuse in 2018.

The British rider also knows that the KTM will be a sought after seat throughout the silly season, and with Johann Zarco and Dani Pedrosa having been heavily linked with a move to the Austrian manufacturer, it is clear that Smith needs to exceed expectations.

“Having the right mindset to start the year is the biggest thing for me,” said Smith. “The winter has been much better this year, and I didn’t realise how much carrying an injury can affect you, until last winter.

“I think that I probably didn’t know how big the step up to being a factory rider in MotoGP was either,” he added.

“I know the team, the tires and everything is a lot smoother for me this winter. Over the winter, I changed my training program to deal with riding the KTM. To compare the Yamaha to the KTM, it’s like cycling at 18mph and then having to ride at 20mph.”

“It puts more stress on your body and your training. No-one is unfit in MotoGP, so it’s about working with a team of people-trainers, physios, and nutritionists to stay fit. The season is long and you have to prepare for it. The game is progressing and that’s something that I’ve always enjoyed.”

Part of the enjoyment of training is also that there is a competitive element to it. In a training group that includes Eugene Laverty, Daniel Ricciardo, and Brandan Hartley, the racers are up against the best cyclists in the world.

The Monaco elite certainly have to push themselves, and Smith has found that it’s helped him to continue making steps forward.

“When you’re training with some of the best athletes in the world, you’ve got to keep up with the group! When you go out with pro cyclists, they’re not there to pull you along, you’ve got to do your job and pull your weight.”

“You have to perform because you want to go back and train with those guys and say you’ve had a good weekend. You don’t want to have to keep your head down and avoid everyone in the group.”

“I think that at the end of the day everyone knows that you can’t always have good results, and they understand why you aren’t getting results, but you want to come back and say you’ve done a good job.”

“They understand that KTM are a new team and growing, but they also know that if I’ve not been the top KTM rider, that I’ve not done a good enough job. That’s where the group will say ‘come on Brad, step it up.’ It’s nice to have that in your training group.”

The pressure to perform is nothing new for Smith. Having been a factory Aprilia rider in 125GP through to now, he has always had to prove himself.

Having a functional riding style is something that never made him stand out from the crowd, but his mental approach has certainly helped him to maximise his skill set.

“I don’t have a natural flair on a bike. I’m not a rider, like Dani Pedrosa, that you look at and say that he’s impressive,” admitted the Briton.

“My style isn’t the nicest, but through determination I make it work. My handling skills and throttle control is a strength and being consistent is too. I’ll never look nice on a bike, but I can get the job done. It took until 2015 for me to prove the hard work was paying off.”

“Mental strength is so important, and if you can have that to dig into it helps so much. The Alberto Puig approach was certainly old school for us!”

“The modern era of political correctness has probably made his approach a bit too hard edge, but it was so good. I remember cycling to the gym in England in the rain and freezing conditions.”

“My dad would ask if I wanted to be driven, but I always thought ‘would Alberto take the car?’ So I kept cycling.”

That will power will be keen in the coming rounds. With the Catalan Grand Prix the usual point of the season where most deals have been done, Smith knows that the Silly Season keeps getting shorter and more pressure filled.

“You don’t have a lot of time these days with the way the silly season has gone! That being said you do have enough time to prove yourself.”

“KTM won’t be making their decision on the basis of what happens in the first few races of this year. I’ve not changed manufacturers this year and we’ve worked together for a year.”

“Time isn’t an excuse for me because it’s up to me to show that I deserve to stay here. The plan has always been to stay here for more than one contract. I don’t want to set this up as being a great project for someone else, but I know that I’ve got to get the results and prove myself.”