British MotoGP: Bradley Smith rules out KTM test deal
Bradley Smith wilܫl make a clean break from KTM at the end of the MotoGP season and not remain involved as a factory testജ rider in 2019.
Last time in Austria, KTM's Pit Beirer reve꧟aled that the factory will change its strategy towards test riders next year - adding a second rider alongside Mika Kallio, but ending (or at least severely reducing) wild-card opportinities.

Bradley Smith🏅 will make a clean break from KTM at the end of t🌼he MotoGP season and not remain involved as a factory test rider in 2019.
Last time in Austria, KTM's Pit Beirer revealed that the factory will change its strategy towards test riders next year - adding a second rider alongside Mika Kallio, but ending (or at least severely🧸 reducing) wild-card opportinities.
Beirer confirmed the likes of Smith, Dani Pღedrosa and Jonas Folger were in contention to be the second test rider. But Smith, who has lost his race seat to Johann Zarco for 2019, is determin🔜ed to try and return to MotoGP in 2020, m🦹eaning wild-cards are a major attraction of any test deal.
"I'm not going to be riding for KTM in the future," Smith said at Silverstone on Thursday. "My vision for what I want ꦺto do with my career is different to what they need from a test rider.
"As🐓 they explained to yo🅷u guys, they are not looking for wild-cards, they are not looking for racing. For me, my vision is to be back in 2020, so I need to find myself in a situation that allows me to be able to do that.
"It's൩ a mutual thing. At the end of the day it's just two different people with two different visions.
"It's a shame that I'm not going to see this project through h𒆙ow I necessarily wanted to. But the fact that I've had an impact in the last two years will always stay there and we'll see what comes in the future.
"But basically my options are not with team orange any more. So I need to think about the other things available and what♍'s going to help me get back on this grid in 2020."
Smith added that he wasn't surprised by KTM's change of policy t♛owards wild-cards, although "only time will tell" if it's the right decision.
"As a team we learned from the situations with Mika, that last year he was clearly outperforming me and then even at the beginning of this year when he brought the new bike and outperformed both of us - that's not good for the brand 🌜and the decision makers.
"If I was to stay on as test rider, at current form, I might beat all four of their riders that 🔯come in next year. And I was the one tಞhat was kicked out already in May. So that doesn't necessarily look good for anybody. It doesn't necessarily work in my favour and it doesn't work in anyone's favour.
"So they need someone that is willing to toe the company line, willing to do the tests as a test rider and I think Mikaꦫ and whoever they decide [as the second test rider] will do a fantastic job of that.ꦿ"
Despite his impending departure, Smith - who has been helping to test 2019 parts from Kallio's bike during race weekends after the Finn's injury at Sachs🎀enring - has pledged t🌠o do all he can to push the KTM project forward.
"Like I told KTM, I was out of a job 💝in May, so I've been riding from May until now jobless anyway. With no promise of being a test rider, no p๊romise of anything. And I've done the job to the best of my ability," he said.
"I've made the promise to them that no matter what happens, what decisions get made, I will do the very best I can for the project and hand over the very best bike I can to 🎉the new riders in November. So that's what I'm going to do. I've stuck by my word and there's no reason to go back on that now."
With his 2019 plans still to be decidಌed, Smith is well awℱare that this weekend could be his final home MotoGP. The #38 admitted that Sunday's cooldown lap will be more emotional than usual and is determined to enjoy it as much as he can.
"It could be my last [home GP] so I'm just trying to embrace everything that goes with it. It's an awesome ꦓfeeling to be her♐e with the British fans. Today, at Day of Champions, with everyone shouting and screaming - it's busy yes, but those days are going to disappear at some point.
"So try and enjoy them as much as you can, put on a ꧃good performance and you never know what the future will bring."
Smith revealed that – as in Austria - he will stick with his standard 2018 machine this weekend, rather෴ than running the prototype 2019 (Kallio) engines with which he suffered technical issues during practice at Brno.
"Things do seem to be coming together really well the last four-five events, we've been putting in strong weekends from Friday to Sunday. The bike is getting better and better,❀ we are improving it as we go.
"It won't be a new bike again this weekend, we're sticking still with the old one. Just basically continuin♍g to work and develop that for the time being.
"It's going to be a tough weekend. A brand♒ new surface, we've got four front tyres, four rear tyres that we need to try and get through. We also have the unknown weather that we've g🌊rown to love at Silverstone!"
With team-mate Pol Espargaro missing 💞his second event in succession as he recovers from should♚er and back injuries at Brno, Smith will also have a new team-mate this weekend in the form of Loris Baz.
"It's nice to hav💟e someone on the other side🐟 of the garage. It was a little bit lonely in Austria!" Smith smiled.
"As I've always stated, this is the place that I want to be and that I'm sure anyone wants to be. It's just a fantastic opportunity for Loris to roll out against the best riders in the world on one of the best bikes, at one of the fastest circuits. Just really enjoy his three 𒆙days here."
Like KTM, Aprilia and Yamaha are looking to sign race-proven test riders to b൩oost their MotoGꦰP projects in 2019.

Peter has been in the paddoꦗck for 20 years and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.