MotoGP: Tech 3 re-signs Smith for 2015

Briton Bradley Smith will remain with the Tech 3 Yamaha team in 2015 after extending his deal with the MotoGP squad.

The 23-year-old made his MotoGP debut with the French team last year, having join Tech 3 in 2011 for his first season in the Moto2 category. Smith's new deal means he will enter his fifth year with the team in 2015.

"It's difficult to explain exactly how I feel right now but I am just overly thankful to Yamaha and Herve [Poncharal, team boss] as well as the whole Monster Yamaha Tech3 team for believing in me and enabling me to continue riding here for another year," Smith said. "I really do love working with this team plus the Yamaha YZR-M1 and it's crazy to think that this well be our fifth year together although it still feels like the second!

"There's been a lot of emotion in re-signing so I'm really happy with the end result and that everything is finally sorted. Also, it's positive mentally to have next year clear whilst going into the second half of this season."

Smith is currently ninth in the MotoGP standings, with a fifth place in the second round of the season in Austin as his best result so far.

"I am very happy to welcome Bradley back for one more year and I hope this agreement will not only help him to finish the second half of the year in a more relaxed state of mind, but also make things exciting for the MotoGP fans watching him," said Poncharal.