Smith's Tech3 deal done at last

Bradley Smith has re-signed with Tech3 after a few niggles over the contract.

It will be the Englishman’s sixth season with the squad. While the news has been expected for some time one of the biggest stumbling blocks was that Smith demanded to receive equal equipment as his team-mate, Pol Espargaro.

“Having gone through 2015 under the assumption of getting the same treatment, and then Pol getting the chassis, I wanted to make sure that there were going to be no special upgrades going to his side of the garage next year. That was an important part of my final push with Yamaha. That was the main thing that I was happy I got signed off. That was really what most of it all came down to, to be honest.”

Smith spoke about taking a gamble to sign with Tech3 in Moto2 but the decision has paid off handsomely with what will be at least a four-year stint on the top satellite machine in the GP paddock.

“I never ever thought that I would be riding six years in one team. It’s just not something I ever expected, but having been involved in Tech 3, it really hasn’t felt like going in to six years, it’s gone very quickly, I’ve enjoyed myself. I try be professional, I try and go about my work in the right way. He took a huge gamble but I think I took a big gamble going into his Moto2 project from 125s, and he took an equally big, if not a bigger gamble, by signing that three-year deal to put me in MotoGP. And maybe an even bigger one to keep me inside the MotoGP for this season. Now I’m in debt, now I have to keep getting the results.”

Read tomorrow’s MCN for an exclusive interview with Bradley.