Life after MotoGP
Brit riders on what comes next
Valencia proved a MotoGP swansong for two British riders as both Bradley Smith and Scott Redding bowed out after 13 and 11 years respectively in the grand prix paddock.
But while it might seem like the final curtain both say they’ve still plenty to prove and have very different intentions when it comes to future career plans.
While British Superbike-bound Redding bids to forge a new career in production-based racing, Smith is adamant that his break from the premier class is merely a temporary blip on his career path and, with wild-card MotoGP rides and MotoE already lined up, he’s positive he’s not down and out just yet. Having signed a deal to be Aprilia’s test rider for 2019 including a choice of wild-card appearances which sees him race at the opening round in Qatar, Smith is wasting no time to make his first outing in anger on the RS-GP. And, with appearances also in the new MotoE Cup, riding for the Sepang Circuit team, Smith says he’s done all he can to keep the door open for a return to MotoGP sooner rather than later.
“For me the important part of 2019 was to not disappear, because the plan is to come back in 2020. The only way to do that was to finish 2018 strong so everyone remembers that I still have speed and talent, to show great performances in as many races as possible and to stay in everyone’s minds in 2019.
“I think I’m doing the right thing to get my goal back in 2020 and we’ll just have to wait and see if it pays off. The intention has never been to leave MotoGP because I’m a prototype rider through and through and I believe that I belong in MotoGP.”
And while the inaugural electric world series has taken some flak so far, Smith is adamant that, new concept or not, it’ll be competitive and the right place for him to be. “My season has fewer races next year but it’s just as stretched out, so it won’t feel like an off year. That’s important because if I do come back I still need to be sharp. I need to not be rusty and I need to be in the best championships I can be in. First and foremost, by riding the Aprilia I will be in the best championship possible. And I don’t think MotoE will be any lesser because it sounds like it’s going to be full of former world champions who are still at the top of their game and on equal machinery.
“MotoE is a different platform, but it’s still a world championship and it’s nice to be involved in it from the beginning. It’s nice that it’s bringing riders from a lot of different categories so that each will have a lot of different input, and it’ll be interesting to see which category of rider adapts best to the electric bike.”
It’s a very different story for fellow Brit Scott Redding, though. Heading back to Britain to join the PBM Ducati squad in BSB, he’s
‘I think I’m doing the right things to come back in 2020’