Monster Yamaha’s Bradley Smith flew to Sepang carrying an ankle injury he picked up in a motocross crash just days before he was due to leave for the MotoGP test and was in two minds whether to make the trip at all but still managed to knock half a second off his best ever lap time at the track.

Smith damaged some ligaments in the incident but was still able to put in his best-ever lap at the circuit but admitted he was a test mule for a raft of new parts that have been delivered from Yamaha as he couldn’t ride at 100 per cent all the time.

“I lost the front motocrossing. I dabbed my foot and it twisted around. I was lucky I didn’t do the knee ligaments, just the ankle ones. I can’t weight it, that’s the problem and in some areas for grip. I can’t stand on my tip-toes, so can’t put pressure through the pegs. I am 85 per cent, there is not too much to come,” said the Oxfordshire copper top.

“The good thing is it didn’t deteriorate during these three days, so that’s some great work by the Clinica Mobile. Considering this time last week I was considering not coming at all I am pleased that we have been able to get in 150 solid laps which is better than sitting on the sofa. I am very pleased to have improved my personal best time by half a second.”