British GP: Bradley Smith gets seventh; Mattia Pasini clinches first win of ‘07

A battered and bruised Bradley Smith fought his way to a heroic seventh position in the 125 race at the British GP after suffering a mammoth get-off in qualifying on Saturday.

The 15-year-old Repsol Honda rider had started the race from a disappointing ninth after he crashed on his final flying lap yesterday, but he still managed to hustle his way forwards in the race while carrying a few sore knocks.

At the start of the race Simone Corsi jumped from third to first with a move down Craner Curves and into the Old Hairpin passing pole position man Mattia Pasini.

Bradley Smith slipped back in the opening stages, circulating for the opening ten or so laps down in 11th.

Up front on lap six, Hector Faubel took the lead into Redgate, but by the time they had got round to Foggy Esses Corsi was back in the lead and Faubel dropped behind Pasini at the Melbourne Loop.

Faubel and Corsi swapped the lead again on lap 10 with Pasini following in close quarters, and the next time round a daring move from Pasini nearly takes Corsi off at Fogarty Esses.

Pasini made the most of hitting the front by setting a fast pace while the rest of the following group diced it out for the remaining places.

On lap 14 Bradley Smith started to make some movement towards the front, getting to ninth, and when Esteve Rabat, Corsi and Randy Krummenacher all ran off at the Esses Bradley had the chance to make up a couple more positions.

Krummenacher and Rabat ended up taking each other off at Goddards before the race was over and Smith began a battle with Raffaele De Rosa for seventh.

Smith passed De Rosa once at Redgate on lap 22 but De Rosa crossed the line next time round in front of him.

However, by the time they had completed another circulation Smith was back into seventh, where he’d stay until the end.

Pasini took the win by a dominant margin; saluting his pit crew and later stroking his Aprilia that two weekend’s ago he was kicking in dismay.

RESULT

1. Pasini  Aprilia
2. Koyama  KTM
3. Faubel  Aprilia
4. Gadea  Aprilia
5. Olive   Aprilia
6. Di Meglio  Honda
7. Smith  Honda
8. De Rosa  Aprilia
9. Nieto   Aprilia
10. Corsi  Aprilia
11. Zanetti  Aprilia
12. Cortese  Aprilia
13. Krummenacher KTM
14. Jerez  Honda
15. Iannone  Aprilia
16. Muresan  Derbi

GBR

22. Jones  Honda
25. Webb  Honda
27. Coates  Honda
28. Stewart  Honda
30. Hayward  Honda