Dunlop has released an interview with Bradley Smith. The 2009 season saw him fighting at the front with top riders including Aspar team-mate Julián Simón in the 125cc GP class. Bradley took his first GP win at the Spanish round of Jerez in 2009, and went on to score nine podium finishes over the season, ending the year with second in the standings. Having re-signed with his team to stay in the 125cc class for 2010, the young Brit is determined and has nothing less than the championship title in his sights.

Congratulations for 2009 season how was the last race in Valencia for you?
Obviously for the last race of the season you want to go into the winter on a high. I started in a panic with problems on the warm up lap, stalling the bike and getting to the grid late which really focused me. The final five laps was great battle and I was second again which was a good result, but second after a season finishing second wasn’t the greatest end to the year for me.

What was the highlight of the 2009 season for you?
I would probably say the Jerez race where I won. I took the win by 15 seconds, even after losing fifth gear in the final few laps. It was nice to finally wrap up my first world championship victory and stand on top of the podium listening to the British national anthem.

What was the toughest moment of the year?
The toughest moment of the year for me was probably picking myself up from the gravel at Donington. The race was red flagged, then restarted as a five lap bash in the rain. I took the bull by the horns and decided to take the race to everyone, unfortunately I pushed too hard in the first lap and ended up in the gravel. I lost some points and my dream of winning the British GP had slipped away.

You are staying with your team for 2010, can you let me know what drove your decision making process?
I took some time to really weigh up the options on the table. Aspar is clearly the best team in the 125 paddock, they are the most knowledgeable and put together a great package to race with. I didn’t get any hard options in Moto2 unfortunately so it was an easy decision to stay and go for the world title this year.

Correct tyre choice is crucial for success in racing, can you pick a race where you think the right choice gave you a distinct advantage this year?
It would definitely be Malaysia last year. I’ve been using Dunlop D120’s on the rear and unfortunately our bike set up wasn’t quite working so I went for the D115 instead. It turned my lap times round bythree quarters of a second immediately which meant I was able to fight at the front for a win. I finished second in the end but was able to fight at the front with confidence in my tyre choice.

Which is the toughest track for tyre choice for you on the GP circuit and why?
The Sachsenring, there are so many left-hand bends at different speeds and so few righthanders. If you get hot conditions it’s easy to get a good racing temperature in the left-handers but as soon as you go to the right-hand corners you have to be careful
as the other side of the tyre is not warm. AS we don’t run with dual compound tyres in the 125cc class it’s down to the rider and team to get the best grip through planning and strategy and riding skill.

Do you make the tyre choice yourself, how does the decision making process work in the team?
It’s really a bit of team input along with the Dunlop technician who points you in the right direction. At the end the final decision does rest with the rider to go with what he’s comfortable with.

You have a new team mate with Nico Terol this year. Are you expecting to battle with him as you did with Julian Simon last year?
I think Nico’s going to be very strong. He was third in the title fight last year so he’s not a slow rider at all. I’m expecting to battle with the guys and I reckon there’s going to be three or four who are regularly up there. if I continue my form from last year and continue to improve I know I can fight for the title, but there will always be four or five riders capable of getting on the podium so a race is never simple!

Moto2 is kicking off this year, what’s your view on the new class?
It’s a new class which is always very exciting, having something so fresh and new. It means everyone is a bit on edge and there’s a sense of anticipation and excitement as the riders and teams don’t know what to expect. I think it’s going to be close racing AND should be great to watch for the fans. I will keep my eye on the class and follow it closely as it will be a key factor when I make my decision for my ride in 2011.