Monster Yamaha MotoGP rookie Bradley Smith is keeping his feet firmly on the ground after a sterling performance on day two of testing at Sepang, where he finished quicker than both factory Ducatis.

Smith was only 1.4s slower than leader Dani Pedrosa with his best time and managed to leapfrog the works Ducatis of Nicky Hayden and Andrea Dovizioso while also shadowing Alvaro Bautista with a 2'01.931.

“Today's performance and the final lap times makes me feel really happy but I am not going to get carried away. I am happy with the job I have done and to be so fast on such a long and technical track is great for my confidence. But I know reducing the gap to the leading group will be very difficult," said the Oxfordshire rider.

"There's still a long way to go but it is nice to be so much faster than yesterday and to see some real progress. A lot of it is down to trusting the bike and having the confidence to ride it to the absolute limit to get the best out of it. I'm not at that point yet but each time I go out I get a better feeling.

"The great thing with the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team is they make me feel calm and concentrated and they give me a focus to work on my technique out on track. The lap times are coming from the work we are trying to improve in key areas. It never feels easy on these bikes and you don't get time to rest, but when it becomes more like your friend then you start making steps forward. The team gives me a plan and an area to work on and I try to implement it on track.”