The world of Grands Prix has always had the vocation of looking for young talent capable of moving the lines, conquering hearts and bringing interest in the category to the firmament. A high average age in this paddock is barely tolerated and this acceptance has become even less bearable since it is no longer justified by the continuity of the career of an icon like Valentino Rossi. A trend from which the WSBK had always escaped until then, made up of rebuilt veterans, with leather hardened by a solid first part of their career. But in 2022, the field will welcome a 19-year-old driver as the youngest and, at Honda, we took two young people out of the Grand Prix game in place of its former pair made up of drivers no longer far from forty. A development that made 29-year-old Scott Redding think.
At the threshold of thirty, Scott Redding is in the middle of the watch, at the center of a generational conflict between potential forties and those who have barely left two decades of existence. A big gap that the WSBK discovered for one of the first times in its history. In 2022, a page seems to be turning with the departures of Chaz Davies (35 years old), who announced his retirement. Tom Sykes (36 years) and Leo Haslam (38 years old) found refuge in BSB. During this time, Oliver Konig arrived at the age of 19, scout for a group of ten pilots who were under 26 years old. An age which is that of the reigning WSBK World Champion, i.e. Toprak Razgatiloglu.
Scott Redding gives his opinion on this new physiognomy of the grid which he also explains by a policy applied in Grand Prix which would not increase its players... The now driver BMW said so on speedweek : " I'll tell you what the problem is: MotoGP hires young riders without paying them and destroys their careers. After that, they need to race in another championship like the World Superbike Championship to get back on track. There are so many young riders in MotoGP today, and I know they are not paid like Rossi, Dovizioso or Lorenzo were when they came up. Not even close ».
Scott Redding: “young people are not paid like Rossi, Dovizioso or Lorenzo were when they came up”
« They do MotoGP for a year or two, if they don't succeed, and very few do, they are eliminated » adds the Englishman. “ Then they can either take a step back in the Moto2 World Championship or enter the Superbike World Championships for a similar amount. But they have to do less running and can enjoy it a little. This is why there are so many young pilots ».
Scott Redding doesn't name names about those harmed by the system, but mentioning a stable is just like..." Honda had the two oldest drivers ", said Redding about the duo Haslam/Bautista last year. “ As a result, they had an old-fashioned riding style. Look how much riding a motorcycle has changed in the last ten years. Additionally, both fell often. If Honda had gotten Jonathan Rea or Toprak, they would have preferred them over a young GP rider. But both already had a contract, so Honda took the risk of recruiting young riders who could push a little harder ". Either Iker Lecuona, 21 years old and Xavi Virgo 24 years.
