~ Auto Buzz ~: ON THE RECORD: Bradley Smith The top satellite rider in MotoGP talks about himself, motocross, his win at Suzuka, and how his Yamaha differs from Rossi’s.

I’m a very focused individual. I enjoy being by myself, doing very simple things and going round in circles. Being fifth in the championship and the top satellite rider with a contract with Yamaha for 2016, is simply fantastic. I’ve loved sports from a young age. I started with motocross because all my family was riding. In 2003 and 2004, I had several bad injuries doing motocross, so my dad convinced my mom that roadracing was safer. I like road racing but I’m still a motocross guy. I still like to go to the Motocross des Nations instead of Motegi or Phillip Island. I still love to spend my winter in California, riding motocross there, being around the MX guys and watching Supercross. In winter, I am based in Carlsbad, California, where my manager Bob Moore lives. He was the 125cc world champion, so he has many contacts. We usually go motocrossing at Milestone or Starwest. I also watch the Supercross guys at the Yamaha test track. Josh Hayes is a good friend of mine and we often cycle together. He has a dirt track in his garden. Basically, my bike is Valentino Rossi’s bike from Misano 2014. In terms of engine performance, the bikes are quite similar, although the rev limit of our bike is a little bit different. The factory riders can have more rpm. Rossi and [Jorge] Lorenzo have the seamless up and down transmission, while we have the seamless only to go up. We use a different technology for the front and the rear suspension, so there is a lot of difference. And finally the chassis is two or three steps behind them.

Racing against the best riders in the world with these small disadvantages makes a big difference. We can manage the situation in qualifying, because we have the soft tire, and with less fuel the balance is not so important. During the race—with the tires that drop quite a lot and with a full fuel tank—the difference between a factory and a satellite bike becomes huge. We have access to Rossi’s and Lorenzo’s data. This is a fantastic opportunity that Yamaha gives us. Around five or 10 minutes after the practices, we can see everything, so we can overlay the data. This helped my career a lot, because I can learn from the best riders. All Yamaha riders are starting to ride more and more similar. Valentino and Jorge have their own riding style, but the actual style with the motorcycle is becoming very similar. I have worked the last 12 months to adapt to this Yamaha riding style, which means being very smooth on opening and closing the throttle. Actually, we close the throttle very smoothly and progressively, in the same way that we open it. We don’t just cut from 100 percent to zero; we roll slowly. The way we use the carbon brakes is also typically Yamaha style: releasing the brake earlier, getting on the maximum angle and carrying the corner speed as fast as possible.

The Suzuka 8 Hours is a physical challenge I’ve always wanted to do. It was my first time this year, and the first time I raced a production bike: the Yamaha YZF-R1. When we signed the contract to go and race, Yamaha told us that we needed to win, so there was a massive expectation. It had been 19 years since Yamaha had won there, and 13 years since they had entered a factory team. From that point of view I didn’t enjoy the experience, because there was too much pressure. Although we knew we had the chance to win, I didn’t enjoy this “win-only” attitude. Anyway, I had a fantastic team with my teammate Pol Espargaro and Katsuyuki Nakasuga. We were the fastest guys. Inside the team, we were all pushing each other faster and faster. I enjoyed the race. The main problem was the traffic, because there were so many different levels among the riders. I was overtaking maybe 10 people per lap, so it was quite stressful. Winning the Suzuka 8 Hours was more exciting than a MotoGP race. The experience of the podium was amazing. It was at nighttime, with all the flashes and the support of the Japanese fans. It was a strange feeling too, because it was a team victory. I was very proud for the team and really happy for our teammate Nakasuga, who had been trying to win that race for seven years. I was glad for the Japanese at Yamaha who had put so much effort to make this bike fast and reliable for 8 hours, but also easy in the pit changes. My job was quite easy compared to theirs. Think of the fuel strategy, for instance. Racing in a team is very different: you are making compromises all the time. In MotoGP, the excitement is trying to find 100 percent from every single detail.

Bradley Smith and Ken Block in front of a Ford Mustang

I am a big fan of Ken Block. It was a great honor to meet him at Silverstone. Honestly, I was very scared, as I had never been in a fast car. Ken took me drifting in a Ford Mustang with 845 horsepower. I remember the smoke, the noise... It was amazing! My eyes just popped out my head when he flicked it sideways. Cars give you a buzz no doubt about it. I was the only rider during the hectic Misano GP to not pit and change onto wet tires. I missed the first lap to enter in the pits when Marc [Marquez], Valentino [Rossi] and Jorge [Lorenzo] came in. And then, on the next lap, it seemed to rain a little bit less. I was already two laps behind so I was forced to stay out. I had to ride really smooth with the slick tires in the wet. I rolled the dice, hoping that it was going to stop raining. I didn’t have to convince myself. I had no other option, no plan B. It was a big gamble but it paid off. Satellite teams don’t have so many opportunities, so I took the chance. Of course, if I were fighting for the championship, I never would have taken that kind of gamble. Quoting Henry Ford: “If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.” You don’t need to do what other people do. In the Misano flag-to-flag race, it paid off.

Bradley Smith and team at the Suzuka 8 Hours race

This year’s Japanese GP will be a special one for me. Last time I raced in Japan, I was part of the Suzuka 8 Hours conquering team, so I have some great memories. Moreover, it's Yamaha's home GP in their 60th anniversary year, so I'll do my very best to perform as strongly as possible! In addition, I will be wearing a special helmet at Motegi, which I hope the Japanese fans will appreciate. Motegi is one of the more challenging tracks we go to. The stop and go nature means there is a lot of aggressive braking, and we must pay special attention to the tires as well at this race. Yet, I have always enjoyed the track. I need to finish inside the top six to keep my championship ambitions alive, but I am ready to fight right until the checkered flag. I like cooking. I live in Andorra and I love cooking for myself. My latest purchase is a bread maker. I’m keen on preparing my own bread: gluten free with everything inside. My best recipe? A healthy English breakfast!