BRADLEY Smith is hoping his Red Bull KTM team can learn from an issue which hindered him in the opening race of the MotoGP season.

The Oxfordshire rider qualified 20th in Qatar, but worked his way through the field early on.

However, a front tyre problem cropped up halfway through the race, which saw the 27-year-old slip backwards to finish out of the points in 18th.

Smith felt there were positive aspects to build on during the three-week gap before the next round, in Argentina on April 8.

He said: “I was really happy with the start of the race.

“I was aggressive and I made up some positions. I was in the mix and inside the points.

“There were some corners where I was OK and others where I was just losing time.

“It was frustrating because I put myself in a good position to push along with the front guys.

“It was good to know more about where the KTM needs to improve by being with the other guys on track.”

Mike Leitner, Red Bull KTM’s MotoGP team manager, acknowledged it was not the first time they had seen the issue.

He said: “Bradley was feeling good in the beginning of the race, but when the front tyre dropped he lost the rhythm and this is something that not only happened to us tonight.

“We need to work hard and improve now. We knew this weekend would be tough for us.