Oxford's Bradley Smith is riding for the Monster Yamaha Tech3 team alongside reigning Moto2 champion Pol Espargaro. See his Official MotoGP profile
here
Last time we spoke you were 17 and about to start in 125GPs, does that feel an age ago?
"Wow, I had hair back then as well! It's crazy to think I'm now in my ninth season of racing at a world level. I started in 2006 and next year I'll be in my 10th season. It's been a rollercoaster, but I've been lucky, won some races, got a few podiums and now I've secured my third year in MotoGP."
Smith's pain has been factory team's gain
What does a second year in MotoGP feel like? Has the pressure been ramped up?
"It's tough. The first year you have some saving grace, you can ride and learn the tracks and bike, but in the second year you have to take your performance level up to the next step. I've made a big jump this year, but the speed has jumped three steps and my experience has only gained one level, which is why I'm making a few mistakes. When you are riding at 98 or 99 per cent you have very little leeway, while at 95 per cent you have more and that's why I've been caught out more times in 2014 than 2013."
What is causing the crashes?
"You need to ride the bike to a limit and then use settings to raise your game to another level. All the bikes I've ridden in my career I've been able to extract the next 0.2 or 0.4 seconds out through hard riding, but in MotoGP it is settings, weight balance and new parts. Sometimes these parts work, sometimes they don't, which is when you crash. Everyone is having moments, just look at Marc, so that's the level you need to be riding at. You can actually set a bike to have a lot of moments..."
Seriously?
"Yes, you can have a bike on a knife-edge - crash or upright - or have it so it gives loads of feedback and a cushion when the front tucks. If you have this setting you can feel the front go and you don't worry... I have it set for feel now, I've had too many crashes, I want a big 'whoop, whoop' warning sign of a potential accident!"
How much do the electronics help or hinder?
"You have to set them to catch human error, which is a bit disappointing. I'm looking forward to 2016 when the electronics are backed off and used more for safety than performance."
How tough is MotoGP? Read it and weep
After the first race of the season you got a new chassis from Yamaha and your results dipped. Why?
"We were trying to find something that maybe wasn't there. I tried the chassis and gave some good feedback back to Yamaha, they took this feedback and designed Valentino and Jorge a new chassis. It was both positive and negative, if I helped the factory riders get closer to the leaders this new technology will eventually filter down to our team."
Is Rossi and Lorenzo's recent improvement in form down to you?
"I wouldn't claim it all, but I like to think I helped. I crashed a bit doing it, but I helped them discover the boundaries they could go to."
Does Rossi owe you some skin now?
"Na, the finger was my fault. Saying that, he has also skinned his finger, although a lot less worse than mine. He's just making a fuss over nothing..."
Before you signed your contract extension for 2015, was it hard hearing rumours about you being dropped?
"It is and it isn't. To be honest it has never affected me, however I'm having so much fun in MotoGP and enjoying the riding and whole experience, I do worry about it ending. That thought causes me sleepless nights so I'm glad I'm secure for another season. However I do need to up my level, I want more than just one more season in MotoGP."
So what's the target for 2015?
"It's always hard, goal posts always move, but then sponsors might dictate another rider is picked over you. If you are in fifth spot in a world championship you aren't going to be kicked into the street..."
What is Silverstone like to ride?
"We are racers, we just want to go faster and Silverstone is full of fast, open, sweeping corners. It's our playground and a lot of fun, it's one of the few places a MotoGP bike can stretch its legs."