WSBK Redding attacks: “Bautista has an advantage” and the Ducati rider responds “he’s looking for excuses”

Redding returns to attack on the subject of the weight limit for World Superbike riders, demanding a change. Bautista responds curtly.

About Matteo Bellan de Motoracing

On his return to Ducati, Alvaro Bautista showed himself extraordinarily strong and, unsurprisingly, he is the leader of the Superbike classification. He doesn't dominate every race, like he did in the first part of 2019, but we see that he and the Panigale V4 R are a tough package to beat. They have something more than the competition.

There are those who think that the Spaniard is excessively favored by the fact that he is small and light, an aspect that would help him both in a straight line and to consume less tires. Among those who have repeatedly emphasized this are Scott Redding, who wrote a lengthy post on Instagram to once again address the subject and call for the introduction of a weight limit for drivers.

Superbike, Redding vs Bautista: clear message to the FIM

The pilot BMW posted photos and videos to show that Baptist take advantage of his stature. This is how his speech begins: “ Yes or no ? Should there be a minimum weight limit for drivers in 2023? WorldSBK has done a great job balancing all the bikes in the championship, but why isn't there this limit? I can speak on the subject because I am not a championship contender this year. Those who are will not talk about it because they are criticized by fans and on social networks ».

Superbike, Redding vs Bautista: clear message to the FIM

Redding implies that Toprak Razgatlioglu et Jonathan Rhea would not have the courage to tackle the problem so as not to face criticism, but in reality they have already spoken about it a few times. But in a different way from him. The Englishman then continues: “ As you scroll through the videos you will notice the advantages that an extremely smaller rider will gain on the straight, usually 2-4 tenths. That may not seem like much to some, but when there are ten riders in a second, that 0″2 at the stretch is a nice safety net. In addition to having an increase in speed, the lighter rider does not wear tires like the heavier ones. At the end of the race, which is the most critical, they will have more grip than the others and therefore more chances of winning. ».

Scott wanted to emphasize how much the pilot Ducati won in sector 2 at San Juan Villicum thanks to the long straight. And he concluded his speech as follows: “ I think there should be more fairness between all drivers. I'll probably get a lot of hateful comments, but that's okay because someone needs to talk. There is already a weight limit for motorcycles. There should be an average weight for the pilots ».

Baptist, on the Instagram post of Redding, responded to his colleague’s comments: “ Smaller riders have less strength to move the motorcycle and ride through corners. But this is not a problem for these tall and almost bodybuilders. If you set a limit for one thing, you must also set another. I think it's more important to focus on leveraging your strengths and trying to minimize your weaknesses. But it is easier to making external excuses instead of working hard and accepting reality. This is the first time in my career that other runners have complained about the weight ».

The current world Superbike leader wanted to highlight some of the disadvantages he had in riding the bike and invited Scott to work instead of complaining and calling for a change in the regulations. It also probably upsets the British driver a little to see that his successor at Ducati can win the title, while he failed to do so in the two-year period in the red box, and perhaps this is also why he has been insisting on the weight for months. According to what has leaked, a regulatory change is expected to be introduced from 2024. There is still no official communication, but the END seems inclined to grant Redding's request.