Bradley Smith matched KTM's best resu🌄lt of the season, and his best result of last year on the RC16, with tenth place in Sunday's German MotoGP.

The Englishman almost doওubled his season points as he finished a safe distance between Tech3 Yamaha riders Johann Zarco and Hafizh Syahrin.

Crossing the line 21.4s from race winner Mar🙈c Marquez, Smith equalled the teജnth place by wild-card Mika Kallio at Jerez this year.

"It was nice to be able to ge✃t 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 where 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 af🍨ter a small mistake. I could then pu♚ll away from Hafizh 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 amis꧅s: mistakes or being knocked-into or tyre problems. 

"I j🐟ust 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, credit🎃ed electronic work as helping to preserve tyre lifeꦡ.

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

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

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

"In the final five laps I had no t🎉yre left but I think that was similar to everybody. I think we played it right and it means our electronic guys are doღing a fantastic job. 

"We’re getting our head around theꦉse things and 🐻figuring it out."

Tꦓeam-mate Pol Espargaro, fastest i♛n morning warm-up, failed to finish the race after causing a pile-up at turn three.

Meanwhile Smi♔th 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 and everyt🌜hing 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 bes🌊t way to attack is when everyone is hesitating and give them no chance to fight back. It is a case of risk versus reward."

Smith now has 13 points compared with 32 for 🐻Espargaro, who will partner new signing Zarco at K♋TM next season.

The #38 has suggested he will retire if he can't find an alternative MotoGP ride next year, but is keen to remai🌺n 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 by Mika Kallio's knee 🌳injury at Sachsenring, for which the Finn will require surgery.