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British rider Bradley Smith will compete in the MotoGP World Championships in 2013 and 2014 after penning a three-year deal with Monster Yamaha Tech 3 MotoGP Team. PHOTO: GETTY

Of course, to convert those hundreds of thousands of 'floating' viewers into die-hards requires not only having a British competitor for them to get behind but a British winner to celebrate and Bradley certainly has the potential to eventually carry that mantle.

So does , of course, but the challenge for Cal is so much greater because he did not come through the Grand Prix ranks.

Switching from Superbikes to MotoGP requires a complete overhaul of riding style and approach and when so much of what these guys do is based on pure instinct this process is easier said than done - especially when the majority of circuits are completely new. It also requires that preciously scarce resource: time.

Bradley, on the other hand, has been and after taking 20 podiums - including three wins - in the 125cc class, finishing runner-up in 2009 and fourth in 2010, he already has three podiums in his first season of the ultra-competitive Moto2 class.

Staying for one more season with the goal of challenging for wins whilst also preparing himself for the physical challenge of MotoGP is a wise move that highlights his mature and measured approach to racing in general.

With also progressing successfully through the Moto2 class and beginning to challenge consistently at the front of the 125s, we could easily be looking at having three or four highly competitive Brits in MotoGP in the not-too-distant future.

Also knocking on the MotoGP door is Ireland's , who has followed in Crutchlow's footsteps by having success in the World Supersport series before stepping up to World Superbikes and winning races in this his first season.

Speaking to us after the race at Aragon Tech3 Team Principal Hervé Poncharal suggested Laverty is in the frame for the seat due to be vacated by next year, although his personal preference and no doubt that of Yamaha is to bring in an experienced replacement - and Poncharal confirmed that he was in talks with both and .

However, with Italian Dovizioso keen to stay at in some capacity and the Spaniard awaiting a decision on Suzuki's future plans, which should be announced at Motegi next week, a one-year deal for Laverty could suit both parties and open up an interesting battle between him and Crutchlow to be retained as Smith's team-mate in 2013.

It was an eventful weekend all round at , starting for us on Friday morning when our lovely production assistant Carol slipped in her bedroom and broke a rib!

The poor girl ended up in hospital for the remainder of the weekend with trapped air behind her ribcage and can't fly back home to Belfast until this coming Friday.

The role of PA is a vital one on any production but particularly on MotoGP because not only do they make all the logistical arrangements before we travel and when we're onsite, they are also the link between the OB (Outside Broadcast) unit and network controllers when we are live on air.

As a presenter they count you on and off air, as well as in and out of each piece of VT, so their voice becomes a vital part of your subconscious during a live broadcast.

With Carol stuck in a hospital bed and told she wouldn't be allowed to leave until at least Monday, producer Mike scrambled for his black book and began ringing around for a back-up that would be available to make the dash to a local airport.

A huge power cut at the track, which led to the cancellation of second free practice, added to some pretty chaotic scenes in and around our truck on Friday afternoon.

Mike managed to get a new production assistant booked but when she then missed her flight in the rush on Friday evening we were left to fend for ourselves during Saturday's qualifying programme on the Red Button. Thankfully, via plane to Barcelona, train to Zaragoza and automobile to Aragon, she made it to the circuit in time for race day and ensured that our show ran smoothly.

So thank you Ali and get well soon Carol!

From a production point of view we had a lot of work to do at Aragon, not just for Sunday's show but also trying to build up some extra material for the 'flyaway' races that are coming up in Japan, Australia and Malaysia. For obvious budgetary reasons we only take a skeleton crew to these races and as such over the past years we have only had a 10-minute build-up to the race.

However, this year we have been given our regular half-hour slot, which is great news but also a bit of a logistical headache.

With just one camera and no editing facilities onsite we are limited with how much we can film at the track and all our footage has to be sent back to Belfast via satellite to be cut by Saturday evening at the latest.

So it helps to plan ahead and get a couple of pieces 'in the can', such as an interview with Bautista that we will run in Japan as well as some nice generic features, like one that we are cutting on riders' pre-race rituals.

We have also been gathering material all year for a piece we plan to run in either Malaysia or Australia: we've asked each of the 17 current riders to choose their favourite corner in the world and plan to bolt them all together to make the ideal MotoGP circuit according to the class of 2011.

It's something we've never done before and I can't wait to see how it turns out.

Of course it is important for us to find a balance between dateless pieces and breaking news - things relevant to the race build-up - especially at this stage of the season when titles are being won and lost and contracts decided for next year.

The season finale represents a gruelling schedule for everybody in the paddock but especially for the riders as they risk it all in extreme circumstances, with four races across three continents in just six weeks.

If you want to get a feel for just how tough that is, and to get a taste of what Bradley, Cal and the rest are up against, get yourself to a cinema on Monday or Tuesday of next week - .

And take a friend with you!