Qatar MotoGP: Bradley Smith says Yamaha's tyre woes are overplayed
Bradley Smith believes the first front row start of his MotoGP career proves Yamaha's 2014 tyre woes have been overplayed
Two-time champion and Factory rider Jorge Lorenzo grew increasingly despondent and outspoken about this year's revised Bridgestone compounds during the pre-season, claiming that they put Yamaha at a distinct disadvantage to Honda.
Smith however says his performance should be taken as proof that the issues are not insurmountable.
He argued that testing for three days in Qatar prior to the season-opener - a test the Factory outfits did not attend - had been enough to make a breakthrough with the set-up.
"I don't really know what the other Yamaha riders are complaining so much about," Smith said following qualifying.
"We knew this was going to be the situation, Bridgestone made it very clear from the first test.
"I accepted it didn't work that well on the first day, but between me and the team we continued to work more and more.
"Of course we had three days advantage here; I have three days more information than them.
"Maybe Australia [the tyre test at Philipp Island] wasn't that great for the Factory guys because they got to run some tyres that weren't the compounds we have here."
Smith said his first front row also owed to Yamaha providing Tech 3 with an updated chassis and seamless gearbox, adding: "straight away I was able to be fast, and that gave me a lot of confidence.
"I think our spec is a lot closer to the Factory bike than it was at the end of 2013 - that is mainly where the performance has come from."
Qatar MotoGP: Valentino Rossi says starting 10th deceptive
Qatar MotoGP: Marquez beats Rossi in action-packed race
Why Honda and Yamaha have been left behind in MotoGP's new era
The once all-conquering Japanese manufacturers are going through a difficult period in MotoGP this season. With Suzuki quitting, Honda struggling to get near the podium and Yamaha only enjoying success courtesy of Fabio Quartararo, Japanese manufacturers have been left in the dust by their European counterparts. Key paddock figures explain why.
Who is Valentino Rossi’s newest MotoGP star?
Valentino Rossi’s protégés stole the show at Assen as Francesco Bagnaia stormed to victory to arrest a recent barren run. But it was the rider in second, on Bagnaia’s old bike, who had all eyes on him. Securing his and the VR46 team’s first MotoGP podium, Marco Bezzecchi has all the characteristics that made his mentor special
How Quartararo is evoking an absent MotoGP great in 2022
OPINION: Fabio Quartararo has seized control of the 2022 MotoGP world standings after another dominant victory as his nearest rivals faltered. And he is very much heading towards a second championship echoing how the dominator of the last decade achieved much of his success
The human importance of Marquez’s latest enforced MotoGP absence
OPINION: Marc Marquez will likely sit out the remainder of the 2022 MotoGP season to undergo a fourth major operation on the right arm he badly broke in 2020. It is hoped it will return him to his brilliant best after a tough start to the season without a podium to his name. But it’s the human victory that will far outweigh any future on-track success he may go on to have
Why Ducati holds all the power in its MotoGP rider dilemma
OPINION: The French Grand Prix looks to have made Ducati’s decision on its factory team line-up simpler, as Enea Bastianini stormed to his third win of the campaign and Jorge Martin crashed out for a fifth time in 2022. But, as Ducati suggests to Autosport, it remains in the strongest position in a wild rider market
The seismic aftershock left by Suzuki's decision to leave MotoGP
Suzuki's sudden decision to leave the MotoGP World Championship at the end of the season has acted as a stirring element in a market that had already erupted. Autosport analyses what this means for the grid going into 2023
How the real Ducati began to emerge in MotoGP’s Spanish GP
Ducati’s 2022 MotoGP bike has had a tough start to life and the expected early-season title charge from Francesco Bagnaia did not materialise. But the Spanish Grand Prix signalled a turning point for both the GP22 and Bagnaia, as the 2021 runner-up belatedly got his season underway after a straight fight with Fabio Quartararo
How Honda's praise for its 2022 MotoGP bike has turned into doubt
In a little over two months, Honda has gone from setting the pace in MotoGP testing with its new RC213V prototype to being at a crossroads - caused by the discrepancy in its riders' feedback. After a Portuguese GP that underwhelmed, serious questions are now being asked of Honda in 2022