The British driver from the Pramac team has had an excellent start to the season, which sees him in fourth place in the provisional World Championship standings, just three points behind third place Andrea Dovizioso.
At Losail, Redding finished in seventh position, less than three seconds behind the three drivers ahead of him: Marc Marquez fourth in front Dani Pedrosa and Aleix Espargaro. In Argentina, Scott finished in eighth place, just ahead Jack Miller, Karel Abraham and Loris Baz. His current fourth position in the general classification is simply fantastic since he is second Ducati rider (three points behind first Dovizioso), but above all ahead of all the Hondas.
However, according to Redding, his situation could be better if his Desmosedici GP16 posed fewer problems during the first laps. So his first loops at Termas de Rio Honda were not easy, but he believes he had his share of luck. “I actually had a little bit with a few guys who fell. This is how the cake sometimes sags. I fought. I struggled a lot with the tire at the beginning without giving up. I just had to find my rhythm. I had to work hard for this.
“It was a difficult race. If we have a complicated weekend, we have to go for a top 12 or a top 10. To finish eighth with a few crashes. If there hadn't been a crash, I would have finished twelfth, so I was happy. We have to do a little work at the start of the race to not let them go. This is where I waste most of my time. Midway through the race, it seems just about right. I need to get more grip from the start.
“There just wasn’t any. Until the fuel level went down, I couldn't find my pace in 1'40 average. It was my target. Then the fuel dropped and I made it. I managed to catch Miller and felt good. Then suddenly the rear tire failed, especially on the left side. There was no more grip.
“Before entering the back straight, I was going hard into the corner, hitting the inside curb, turning, picking up, and trying to use the power of the engine. But it was slipping. When I lay flat on the tank, I put my butt on the saddle to press down on the tire. So I had some grip.
“So it was pretty bad, but that's why I'm happy because I could easily lose three positions with the guys behind me. I didn't give up. I had to dig deep within myself, use my head, use that front tire, defend and be strong at the same time.
“Miller passed me with two laps to go and I thought : “Fuck that, I don’t give up that easily.” He there was a small gap. I thought : “Fuck it, go for it!” » I went back to the front. I had a little more confidence with the front tire than the previous lap, so I used that on corner entry.
“Then the final round came. I thought it was going to end badly. I was waiting for his front wheel and if I had seen it, I would have closed the door. Fortunately, I must have scared him a little or taken a little shelter by braking hard. I found him at the finish line. »
Photos and source Pramac Racing Limited
