Bradley Smith could not transfer his Australia podium form into practice at Sepang, where he finished day one in 12th.

But the 23-year-old, from Forest Hill, felt there were some positive signs ahead of tomorrow’s Shell Advance Malaysian GP.

The Monster Yamaha Tech3 rider, who bagged his first top-three finish in MotoGP last week, clocked 2mins 2.627secs in the morning session, which was his fastest lap of the day.

“Overall, it was not a bad opening to the weekend despite the difficulties with the rain,” said Smith.

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“We had a good start in the morning even though I wasn’t able to achieve a fast time straight away with the fresh tyres.

“But I managed to run really consistent 2.02 times, which is considerably more important for the race.

“In the afternoon, we struggled due to the rain, which is a difficult area for us as we found it tough in Assen and also Aragon.

“If there are wet conditions tomorrow, I am optimistic of what we can do and for sure we will be more competitive.

“Furthermore, I adapted my riding style from Phillip Island to this track, so there are many positives to be taken on the first day and I feel confident for the rest of the weekend.”

Smith’s teammate Pol Espargaro finished practice tenth in 2.02.248, while Spain’s Dani Pedrosa (2.01.379) topped the pile.

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