Return to racing ahead of overseas rounds made official.
Monster Yamaha Tech3 rider Bradley Smith will return to the MotoGP circuit at this weekend’s grand prix in Japan after sitting out the past three races due to a knee injury.
The British rider initially injured his knee while contesting the Oschersleben eight-hour endurance race, which effectively forced him to the sidelines for over seven weeks.
“I am excited about jumping back on my YZR-M1 and even though I know it will be a challenging race,” said Smith. “I am determined and I will do my very best. It will be the first time that I can ride a MotoGP bike after seven weeks and even though I am almost fit, it will take me a bit of time to fully adjust to being back on the Yamaha.”
Smith explained that this weekend’s grand prix at the Twin Ring Motegi circuit is a special one for himself, although he understands that the challenging nature of the track will make it physically demanding.
“Japan is a special place, with it being the home of Yamaha and also the country where I won the Suzuka eight-hour event last year. Plus, the fans are fantastic and really supportive which will motivate me even further.”
“However, I know this weekend will be physically demanding due to the stop and go nature of the circuit, plus, there are a lot of hard braking corners but I am certain that we can start the flyaway races positively before we head to Phillip Island,” he continued.