BRADLEY Smith knows a strong result in front of his home crowd could go a long way to helping him retain his MotoGP ride for 2018.

The 26-year-old, from Forest Hill, heads to Silverstone for the British Grand Prix, buoyed by a positive test in Italy earlier this week.

Smith has spent this season developing the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team’s package, but that work has hindered his results on the track.

Although it is the Austrian team’s first season in MotoGP, the Oxfordshire rider has scored only eight points, with a best finish of 13th at Le Mans in May.

With teammate Pol Espargaro and test rider Mika Kallio both landing top-ten finishes, Smith is fully aware it’s time for him to deliver.

“I have a contract,” he said. “But KTM expect results and if they could bring someone else in to do a better job they would do.

“I know they won’t break the contract, but there’s no 100 per cent guarantee.

“I would be involved somewhere inside the project, but there’s no guarantee unless my results improve.”

KTM’s chief executive officer Stefan Pierer has said a decision will be made on next year’s rider line-up in October.

Although Smith’s deal does not expire until next year, his race seat is not set in stone.

Smith added: “I now have to turn my focus to results.

“I know I can do it.

“I am not sitting here thinking ‘I can’t get the results’, because I know I can.

“I am quietly confident and am ready to do it at the weekend.”

Scoring points for KTM was seen as a big achievement at the start of the season, but the goalposts have been moved following the performances of his teammates.

Smith left the last race in Austria scratching his head at an 18th-placed finish, despite showing strong pace in practice.

But he arrives at Silverstone in an upbeat mood after testing the bike’s basic settings at Misano.

He said: “We kind of went back to ‘base camp’ as I like to call it – a setting we know has been competitive.

“It’s a fine line because you’re in a project that needs development and people are trying to come up with new ideas.

“If it pays off, you make a big improvement, but when it doesn’t, it is detrimental to your results.”

Smith added: “Seeing my teammates inside the top ten, I know it’s about time I sorted out my own high finish.

“That’s what we have got to go for from the very first moment on Friday morning.”

A knee injury ruled Smith out of his home grand prix 12 months ago, but he is relishing the opportunity to take to the grid on Sunday.

He said: “It really hurt to miss it last year.

“I didn’t realise how much I love racing at Silverstone, being so close to my home town.

“You don’t realise how awesome it is until you can’t do it.

“Just turning up this year, knowing I’m in a race weekend, fit and healthy, and ready, it’s a good feeling.”