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Full fuel load still a problem for Redding

Britain’s Scott Redding is still having difficulty with a full fuel load at the start of MotoGP races but a new training regime is helping him to keep a consistent pace as the laps click down.

The Octo Pramac Ducati man is currently fourth in the title chase with two solid top-ten finishes and was happy with his ride in Argentina but says he needs to do something about the opening laps where he is struggling for grip with a full tank. Eighth at Termas de Rio Honda brought his points total to 17.

“I got gifted it a little bit with a couple of guys crashing out. That’s the way the cookie crumbles sometimes. I did struggle. I struggled a lot with the tyre at the beginning. I had to dig deep to not just give it up. I just had to find my rhythm. I had to work hard for it,” said Redding, speaking at the track.

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“It was one of those races that was tough. If we’re having a tough weekend, we need to go and get a top twelve or a top ten. To finish eighth with a couple of crashes. If they didn’t have a problem I’d have been twelfth so I was quite happy because it was tough. We need to do a bit of work on the beginning of the race to not let them go. That’s where I lose most of my time. In the middle of the race I seem quite OK. I need to get more drive from the beginning.

“There was just no grip iat the start. Until the fuel dropped, I could not get my rhythm in the middle 1’40s. That was my target. Then the fuel dropped and I got into it. I managed to catch Miller and felt good. I got a bit of a gap. Then all of a sudden the rear tyre was just gone, especially the left side. There was zero grip.

“Going onto the back straight, I was squaring off the corner, going in fast, touching the kerb, turning, picking it up and trying to use the power of the bike. But it was spinning. When I was getting tucked in I was putting my ass on the seat to dig the tyre down. Then I would go.

“So it was quite bad but that’s why I’m happy because I could have easily been three positions back with the guys behind me. I didn’t give it up. I had to dig deep, use my head, use that front tyre, defend and be strong at the same time.

“Miller passed me with two laps to go and I thought, ‘Fuck that, I ain’t giving it up that easy.’ There was a little gap. I thought, ‘Fuck it, go’ I was back in front. I had a bit more confidence with the front than the lap before so I used that on entry.

“Then came the last lap. I was so sideways. I thought it was going to end so bad. I was looking for that front wheel and if I saw it I was going to close the line. Luckily I must have scared him a bit or put myself a bit deep on the brakes. I pulled it back across the line.”

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