Bradley S⛄mith matched KTM's best result of the season, and his best result of last year on the RC16, with tenth place in Sunday's German MotoGP.

The Englishman almost doubled his season points as he finished a safe distance bet⛎ween Tech3 Yamaha riders Johann Zarco and Hafizh Syahrin.

Crossing the line 21ꦫ.4s from race winner Marc Marquez, Smith eq🧸ualled the tenth place by wild-card Mika Kallio at Jerez this year.

"It was nice to 💫be able to get the result that we knew was there and we’ve had that potential all season," Smith said.

"For some reason or another Sundays have been the disappointing days, particularly in Assen two weeks ago w♊here I felt I could have done a similar 🐽job as today. We have to be happy and we worked hard all weekend. 

"I was able to hold with Pedrosa and Zarco for a long time and regrouped after a small📖 mistake. I could then pull away from H♍afizh and bring home some good points; six in fact after only scoring seven all season. 

"I knew I could put in that type of performance but for some reason on Sundays something was always amiss: mistakes or being knocked-into or tyre probl🐠ems. 

"I just had to keep on bashing my head against the wall and🔯 knew at some point it would all come together and it’s nice it was before the summer break so we can have two weeks of having a clear💛 mind and ready to start part two."

Smith, who already knows he will leave KTM at the end of this season, credited electronic work as helping to preser𓆏ve tyre꧅ life.

 "I was working ♛all weekend with the electronics," he said. "It was a really important thing that I thought would be necessary for the race. 

"Once I was behind Dani [Pedrosa] I could see that he was saving the tyre quite a lot and that reminded me to also go to the softer switches I ha♔d and to look after the tyre the🌞 best I could. 

"I think it was Iannone who was catღching me at one point in the race so I passed Hafizh and put my head down for 6-7 laps and pulled the gap. 

"In the final five laps I had no tyre left but I think that was similar🃏 to everybody. I think we played it right and it mဣeans our electronic guys are doing a fantastic job. 

"We’re getting our head around these things and ꦛfiguring it out."

Team-mate Pol Espargaro, fastest in morning warm-up, 😼failed to finish the race after causing a pile-up at turn three.

Meanwhile Smiꦓth enjoyed another strong first lap, rising from 16th to 10th.

"I start good and at this moment I have nothing to lose," Smith said. "I’m not looking at anyone in the first corner. I know where I want to🦋 go anꦍd everything is very clear in my mind and I know the best place to attack is in the first lap. 

"It is harder to pass anyone in the race when they are all up to race pace, so logical thinking means the best way to attack is when everyone is hesitatꦐing and give them no chance to fight back. It is a case of ris൲k versus reward."

Smith now has 13 points compared with 32 for Espargaro, w📖ho will partner new signing Zarco at KT𝔍M next season.

The #38 has suggested he will re♏tire if he can't find an alternative⭕ MotoGP ride next year, but is keen to remain in the paddock in some capacity and thought to be considering test riding duties in 2019. 

KTM's own test program has been thrown into doubt b🅺y Mika Kallio's knee injury at Sachsenring, for which the Finn will requ๊ire surgery.