“Scotty Boy” hit when you least expected it, suddenly leaping to the top of the chart on the final night. He set the sixth fastest time of this final day, ahead of Jonas Folger, Cal Crutchlow, Johann Zarco, Marc Marquez and Valentino Rossi. But Rossi was faster than him over all three days and Redding ultimately finished seventh in this Qatari test.
The end of the 2016 season was very unpleasant for the Briton, when the Ducati GP17 put into play for this year with his teammate Danilo Petrucci returned to the Italian, for a very small point in the final standings of the Championship (75 to 74) . Everything actually came down to the last Grand Prix in Valencia, where Petrucci finished twelfth and Redding fourteenth, with a 10-second gap between the two Pramac drivers. Scott therefore inherited the GP16 for this year, without the wings.
It was a bitter winter for Redding, who did not seem overly motivated during the first tests of this year at Sepang, where he finished nineteenth at 1.277 in the company of Abraham and the KTMs. The second test series at Phillip Island was of the same level, with twentieth place at 1'456, ahead of Abraham and Lowes, but this time behind the KTMs.
His Pramac team therefore showed measured enthusiasm when arriving in Qatar, where Scott ranked fifteenth at 1.266 on the first day. The second day was significantly more positive, with ninth place at 0.898. It wasn't a triumph, but Redding was back on the "good wagon."
On Sunday, he completed a 20-lap race simulation, with his best time in 1'55.7 (lap record 1'54.927 by Lorenzo). He then launched an attack on the clock over one lap and achieved an excellent 1'54.750 on the 58th of his 62 laps (pole record 1'53.927 by Lorenzo, in Bridgestone qualifying). This put him two tenths from the hypothetical first row.
To Scott Redding, who are " I am very happy with how things went during these three days in Qatar after the difficulties encountered in Malaysia and Australia. We've done a great job, especially improving the feel with the front end.
“There is still progress to be made, but the direction is the right one and I am very confident for the race. We have evolved positively day after day. And I have the feeling that I could do even better on a timed lap. I am also satisfied with the race pace which I can still improve. »
Combined Qatar Test Rankings:
1. Maverick Vinales, Yamaha, 1:54,330
2. Andrea Dovizioso, Ducati, 1:54,401
3. Dani Pedrosa, Honda, 1:54,469
4. Jorge Lorenzo, Ducati, 1:54,519
5. Alvaro Bautista, Ducati, 1:54,714
6. Valentino Rossi, Yamaha, 1:54,732
7. Scott Redding, Ducati, 1:54,750
8. Jonas Folger, Yamaha, 1:54,807
9. Cal Crutchlow, Honda, 1:54,821
10. Johann Zarco, Yamaha, 1:54,900
11. Marc Márquez, Honda, 1:54, 990
12. Aleix Espargaró, Aprilia, 1:55,121
13. Andrea Iannone, Suzuki, 1:55,284
14. Karel Abraham, Ducati, 1:55,333
15. Alex Rins, Suzuki, 1:55,362
16. Jack Miller, Honda, 1:55,455
17. Loris Baz, Ducati, 1:55,539
18. Danilo Petrucci, Ducati, 1:55,556
19. Sam Lowes, Aprilia, 1:56,167
20. Tito Rabat, Honda, 1:56,294
21. Bradley Smith, KTM, 1:56,351
22. Pol Espargaro, KTM, 1:56,471
23. Mika Kallio, KTM, 1:57,632
Photos © Pramac
