It has been a whirlwind last couple of years for Scott Redding: losing his MotoGP opportunities, winning BSB at his first attempt on a Ducati and now arriving in WorldSBK and taking his first win in his fourth individual race.
He then added a second victory the day after, and is now leading five-time world champion Jonathan Rea in the title chase by 24 big points. That’s almost a race full.
Sweating after his exertions in winning race two on Sunday, he said, “That was the first time I have led a WorldSBK race more or less from the start and in those conditions. It was very testing for me and testing also for the tyres. It is always a new experience when I do these things. I have to take a lot of caution but when I can win a race, like now, it gives me a lot of confidence.”
His first race win was more wait and go. Today was go very early - and either way works for Redding as he did not necessarily think his early leading tactic was superior as such.
“It doesn’t matter, that’s my way of looking at it. If I feel comfortable to lead and go I will lead and go. I am just putting ammunition into my box for the season. I am still learning. Every time I go out on my bike, it was the first time I had started here, the first time I had been in this position, now I am leading a race in these conditions.
“Ten years ago I pulled out of a race in temperature less than that. Then I decided here to go and lead the race and manage with all the pressure. It is all those things that out that put experience inside and makes me feel at ease. If I have to go and do that race again I feel I am the rider in the paddock with the most confidence that I can do it again.”
Redding was very convincing in the two long Jerez races, even if some of those who would have been expected to challenge harder – Rea for example – had some unexpected issues to deal with. He was realistic about how the rest of the year will go, even if many others were deeply impressed by the credential he has shown already, “I am not going to go out and win every race. If I can I will win but if I can’t I am not going to do anything too drastic to risk everything.”
Jerez is a weird track for the Ducatis to generally dominate, but there they were, Chaz Davies second and even a real privateer like Michael Ruben Rinaldi in fourth. Jerez has no real long straights.
Redding said of the Ducati’s hot Jerez performance. “It is strong in the hotter condition, a little bit, but I don’t know why. When I follow the other guys, I feel they are on my level. So I have no idea. Maybe I am just fitter and I can push the pace more at the end.
Even with Chaz I can keep push, push, push and then come back and I had a bit more if I needed a bit more. The other guys maybe feel comfortable. Maybe it is not the bike. Maybe these riders prefer the hotter conditions. The thing is that it (the Ducati) is not bad in these conditions, which is the most important thing. We struggled more in the morning at this circuit, when we were testing the Kawasaki is so fast. Or like in the morning warm-up.”
Rea, of course, won the Superpole race in the less intensely hot morning today, with Redding close but not able to get into contention in the short ten-lap contest. “In the Superpole race I gave everything but they just have an edge. I just started to get better later.
“Different bike, different tracks, some have stronger points some have weaker points, but you would have though a faster track would have helped and I honestly thought we was going to struggle a little bit more this weekend, because we are normally chasing edge grip. We did chase edge grip but I could take a lot of risk in the last sector to make it up.”
