The Unsung Heroes of the Track: Steven Bradley

Behind every roar of the engine and every daring turn, there is someone who plays a crucial role in keeping the bikes in perfect working order. In this exclusive interview, I had the privilege of speaking with Steven Bradley, a Moto2 mechanic.

Steven works as a mechanic in the Elf Marc VDS team, responsible for bike #22, ridden by Sam Lowes, one of the team's riders. His role involves building, preparing, setting up, and maintaining the bike. But his journey in the motorsport world didn't start here.

Steven has been part of the sport since 1998. He has worked in British SuperSport, British SuperBikes, Northwest 200, and in the prestigious Isle of Man TT, Macau Grand Prix, World SuperSport, Moto3 and Moto2. Such a wealth of experience has brought him to where he stands today.

He began working with his current team in 2022, following three years with the Petronas Moto3 team. Steven pursued technical studies for three and a half years, after school gaining qualifications and experience in engineering and mechanical studies.

We discussed about the most challenging aspect of his job– the moment when the bike is crashed. "No two crashes are the same; so the bike will need different repairs each time," he asserts. And if that weren't enough, when a rider crashes during practice or qualifying sessions, the team faces a race against time, working meticulously to have the bike ready for the track.

Perhaps, what stood out most to me was this: Grand Prix motorcycles are not complex beasts once you've worked on them repeatedly. "they are designed and built to be quite easy to work on"

As with any sport, some of the best moments are the wins, and Steven has been part of these, like in Moto3 with John McPhee and with Sam Lowes in Moto2."Also The Macau Grand Prix, with Ian Hutchinson after his recovery from an injury." For those unfamiliar, Hutchinson is known as one of the finest motorcycle riders, specializing in street circuit races like the Macau GP and the Isle of Man TT.

As a mechanic in a junior category, we discussed the important role these categories play in preparing the junior riders for MotoGP: "The junior categories should impart not only racing skills to the riders, but also mechanical understanding, bike setup, and how interact with fans and media."

Last but certainly not least, we talked about how a team devises strategies for a race weekend – a critical facet of the sport. Initially, the team manager analyzes the rider while scrutinizing the data collected from the motorcycle, forming decisions based on this information. Weather, tire life, and the unique characteristics of each track play an integral role in determining the bike's setup.

"Additionally, understanding the rider and how their style influences the bike's behavior plays a pivotal role."

A special thanks to Steven for this opportunity.

by Camila Albornoz