Britain’s Bradley Smith was separated from a MotoGP front-row start by only 0.006s at Phillip Island when his last qualifying lap came up tantalisingly short of Yamaha stable-mate Jorge Lorenzo’s fastest time which put him third.
The Monster Yamaha man is pleased with the progress he has made with the new rear Bridgestone over the course of this weekend and says his race pace is very consistent, and that a choice of front tyre is no problem as he is comfortable with two options.
“I’m really pleased with what we were able to do in qualifying. We made a really good strategy with a longer run in the beginning and then I did, for me, a perfect lap to get on the second row. Six one-thousandths was the difference but I’m on the outside going into turn one, which is good,” said Smith, speaking at Phillip Island.
“It’s very positive, my race pace is consistent and I’m looking forward to it. I think the best tyre choice is extra-soft in the front and our soft option in the rear. I can use both front tyres so I’m not really too worried but we have to be careful with the weather.
“We’ve worked hard to get better temperature and grip, and we made a big step in terms of race pace and for one lap. Yesterday was the first day with the new tyre and tomorrow I am sure we will make a step more.”
