The waiting is almost over - and Bradley Smith is raring to go Oxford's teenage sensation has just a matter of days to wait for the start of the MotoGP 125cc season, which kicks off in Qatar on Sunday.
Smith has been flying on board his new Polaris World Aprilia bike, recording the fastest time on two of the three days of testing.
The Qatar race makes history when it becomes the first to be held at night - and in his new, exclusive Oxford Mail column, the 17-year-old says that he can't wait to repay his new team for giving him his big chance to shine.
"It was a big move for me to leave the Repsol Honda team," he says.
"I was worried about moving to Polaris World Aprilia, but we gelled immediately.
"I was really honoured when they approached me and I aim to pay back the faith that a Spanish team have put in a young English rider."
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