OXFORD’S Bradley Smith hopes his recent form at Valencia can spur him on to a podium finish in the final MotoGP of the season.

The 23-year-old motorbike racer, from Forest Hill, secured third place in Australia last month and lies seventh in the championship standings.

Smith’s first aim is to take sixth place from his Monster Tech 3 Yamaha teammate Pol Espargaro, but he believes a top-three spot is possible on Sunday.

“It will be tough and you have got to be realistic,” said Smith.

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“But I had a great test at Valencia last year where I was second behind (world champion) Marc Marquez, so I feel confident.”

Smith added: “It would be a great way to end the sea- son.

“I really need a good result at Valencia to try and catch sixth position.”

The friendly rivalry with Esparago goes back to the pair’s teenage days and Smith expects a big battle this weekend, in a race to be shown live on BT Sport.

“Pol races well at Valencia, so I expect him to be fast,” said Smith.

“He is going to be a tough one to beat, but he is someone that I have raced against since 2005.

“We have had this situation for nearly a decade now.”

Smith, who finished tenth in his debut season last year, has progressed well after a slow start to 2014.

Looking back, he feels he may have pushed too hard in the early races.

“Maybe I set my objectives a bit too high,” said Smith.

“But I have certainly ridden better in the second half of the season.”

Smith puts much of his improvement down to gains in experience.

He said: “I am learning what I need to do at this level.

“I think there are eight former world champions in the top ten this year.

“They are all top quality riders.”

Smith and his fellow riders will stay at Valencia for testing from Monday, but he does have a break planned for later.

“I am going to Ibiza with some friends to do a two-day trials event and then I will do a dirt track event indoors in Barcelona,” he said.

“I will keep myself busy.”

Smith used to enter triathlons to keep fit in his early MotoGP days, but although he doesn’t have time for that now, he is not complain- ing.

“I used to get free weekends, but now I am lucky to have a free afternoon,” he said.

“I have plenty of years to play around with that in the future.”

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