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MotoGP Silverstone: 'The Ducati will suit me' - Redding

Britain’s Scott Redding is feeling ‘excited’ and ‘confident’ that he will be able to be competitive with his new team in MotoGP next year. The Gloucestershire rider has signed a one year deal with the option of staying for an additional season with Pramac Ducati, and he is adamant that he made the right decision to leave his Estrella Galicia Marc VDS squad.

It was a big decision to make for the racer who will now jump on the Ducati Desmosedici for 2016, after deciding not to stay with his current employers, but with factory backing from Ducati and the fact that they have wanted him for three years gave him the push he needed to put pen to paper with the Pramac outfit.

Redding feels that the pressure is off him now, and after a difficult year on the RC213V he hopes he can make an impact on the GP14. Today his new soon to be team-mate Danilo Petrucci bagged second place in the race, making him more convinced that he made the right decision.

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“It is nice to know that the deal is done and there is pressure off my back. I didn’t expect Petrucci to be on the podium and it gives me good confidence, as that is the team I am going to,” said Redding, speaking at the circuit.

“Ducati have always wanted me since 2012. I didn’t expect them want me so much, as last year as said yes and then I went to Honda last minute and it made me feel a bit bad to make that decision. But they were really good about it and they wanted me and I think they will support me in the best way possible. Once they knew I was available they said ‘do you want to ride the bike, and do you want to be competitive’ - [and I said] yes, and that was basically the deal.

“It does make a difference confidence wise as they know I can make the results and that is why they want me. With the Honda it is very difficult, as this year they have had a difficult season with the factory bike and I am kind of not their priority. But with Ducati the satellite team is a bit like the factory team.

“I made the decision in Brno [to sign the deal] but I didn’t sleep for about three or four days, and I was thinking should I, shouldn’t I, but then I came here and the bike was working. But then I thought overall that is what I chose and that is the right thing to do, and it is the right way for me to go.

“I am excited as the bike is very different, but looks more normal and I think the Ducati will suit me - at least I hope so now I have made the decision.”

Redding finished the MotoGP race in a solid sixth place, and was the highest performing Brit today. He managed to outpace fellow countryman, Monster Yamaha’s Bradley Smith to overcome tricky conditions this afternoon.

“I was worried going into the race as we made big changes on the bike, which is never confidence boosting before a big race. At the beginning of the race I struggled a little bit getting the rear tyre to work but after eight laps I found a bit more rhythm to close on the guys ahead of me.

“Today we still finished the race and the pace was good. The bike is a big part and it worked here, and we had the same setting as Brno - so it showed the bike worked around here.”

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