Monster Yamaha's Bradley Smith followed Aleix Espargaro's Aspar Aprilia CRT bike during MotoGP free practice at the Sachsenring and says the only place it is losing out is on outright top speed.
The Spaniard has been bothering the top of the timesheets all weekend and has taken advantage of the tight and twisty nature of the German track, and the fact that the CRT bikes are allowed a softer-compound rear tyre than the prototype bikes.
"The bike looks like a MotoGP bike with a little less sixth-gear speed, that is the only thing different. Acceleration is exactly the same as a MotoGP bike, the only place that guy loses is fifth and a little bit in sixth," said Smith, speaking at the Sachsenring.
"Around a place like here, when are you ever in those? They are not limited to engines as such, they have a little more range with what they can do with the engine and also they have the softer rear tyre."
