Tech 3 Racing Team rider Bradley Smith experienced a frustrating Grand Prix of Japan at the Twin Ring Motegi this afternoon after a mechanical failure denied him the opportunity to battle for a first Moto2 rostrum of the season.

The British rider has been one of the fastest and most consistent riders on track all weekend and he started the 23-lap race brimming with confidence after finishing second quickest in this morning's warm-up session.

Smith got a typically fast start from seve nth on the grid to immediately thrust himself into podium contention. The 21-year-old ended the first lap in fourth place but his race was to come to a premature and disappointing end when an engine failure forced him to retire on lap four.
Today's misfortune ended Smith's impressive record of finishing in every race in 2012, but he is confident he will able to bounce back quickly and show his true potential when the Championship resumes at the Sepang circuit in Malaysia next weekend.

Belgian rider Xavier Simeon was able to enjoy a more positive afternoon's work and he deservedly ended his long search for a top 15 finish with a determined ride throughout the 23-lap race.

Starting from 22nd on the grid, Simeon went into attack mode right from the off an d his hard work was rewarded when he moved into the top 15 on lap 18.

He gained one more position in the closing stages of the race and superbly fended off pressure from a group behind that included Mike di Meglio, Yuki Takahashi, Mika Kallio and Andrea Iannone to claim his first World Championship points since the German round in July.

Xavier Simeon 14th – 19 points:

“First of all I want to thank the Tech 3 Racing Team because we really had a lot of problems with the temperature of the front brakes this weekend. This track is very stop and go with some incredibly hard braking points and I was a little bit worried how the brakes were going to perform in the race. But my crew and Nissin did everything to put me in the position to do the race without any issues and I'm really grateful for that. And of course I'm more than happy to have seen the chequered flag this weekend. It has been a long time since I have finished with some bad luck and some mistakes and I really needed a positive result. I was at the front of a big group and I just got my head down and attacked as hard as I could. When I realised I was battling for the points I just tried everything within my power to score them. It is a great finish to the weekend but I want to say sorry to Bradley. He was very fast and very strong all weekend and to be denied the chance of a podium by a technical issue is a big pity for him and the Tech 3 Racing Team."

Bradley Smith DNF – 96 points:

“It is hard to put into words how frustrating it is to see a podium chance taken away in circumstances like that. We have all worked very hard to put ourselves into a great position to battle for the top three and then we don't even complete more than four laps. I was fourth on the first lap but I could already sense there was a problem and then it seemed to clear but on lap four the engine just died and it was race over. I'm very disappointed but at least we have the chance to bounce back quickly in Sepang next weekend. I just hope this wasn't my last chance to fight for a podium in Moto2.”

Herve Poncharal – Team Manager:

“I am very upset today because I think we have been denied the opportunity to fight for a podium through no fault of our own. A tyre issue cost Bradley the chance to go for the front row yesterday in qualifying and today I am absolutely 100% sure he would have bee n challenging for the podium and we had a problem with the engine. So to see Bradley forced out of the race is incredibly frustrating for him and the whole team. I am very sorry for Bradley because he was very fast all weekend and we were very confident he could score his first podium of the season. After all their hard work, Bradley and his crew deserved this and I am sure they will bounce back from this disappointment to battle close to the front in Malaysia. On a positive note I want to say a big thanks to Xavier. He has not been on a good run but he has never let his head drop and he has never stopped giving 100% effort, and today he got his reward. He pushed right to the end and when you see the level of some of those behind him like Kallio and Iannone, this highlights what a great job he did. I am sure now he will use the confidence gained here to finish the season very strongly.”

.