Bradley Smith Returns to MotoGP Paddock at British GP 2026

Bradley Smith will return to race action in the MotoGP paddock at the 2026 British Grand Prix next month after securing a wildcard appearance in the Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup.

The 35-year-old Briton is a MotoGP veteran with 119 starts for Tech3 Yamaha, KTM, and Aprilia across a premier-class career spanning 2013 to 2020. Smith also twice finished on the MotoGP podium before last competing in the paddock in the 2022 MotoE World Championship.

The opportunity at Silverstone carries added significance for Smith, whose last British Grand Prix entry came in 2018 with Aprilia. That race was ultimately cancelled because the track surface was unable to drain rainwater properly.

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Since leaving MotoGP at the end of 2020, Smith has competed in several championships and has raced in King of the Baggers in the United States since 2025. He will make his Bagger World Cup debut at Silverstone with ParkinGO Team, where he is also set to run a special livery.

“When the ParkinGO Team and Harley-Davidson approached me about Silverstone, it was a very easy decision to make,” Smith said. “This will be my 14th British Grand Prix, and the opportunity to race in front of home fans is always extremely special.”

Smith said his new experience with Harley-Davidson Factory Racing in MotoAmerica Mission King Of The Baggers has formed an important base for the wildcard. However, he also acknowledged there will be areas to learn in the Bagger World Cup, particularly the different tyres.

“Silverstone is a circuit I know extremely well and one that produces great racing. There will be few things to learn at Bagger World Cup, especially the different tyres. But these boys are stepping onto my home turf, so pride is at stake, and the battle is on,” he said.

Smith will become the second former MotoGP rider to race in the Bagger World Cup after Andrea Iannone joined the grid full-time from the Italian Grand Prix. Eric Granado currently leads the Bagger World Cup standings after Assen by two points.