In 2021, Ducati official Scott Redding in WSBK will have a direct competitor on a Panigale V4R more or less identical to his in the person of Tito Rabat. The Spaniard arrives from MotoGP where he officiated on a Desmosedici and he is crowned with a title of Moto2 World Champion, vintage 2014. Considering what a certain Bautista has accomplished since his installation on the starting grid of category on the same Ducati, the Englishman would have reason to worry and therefore look at the Spaniard with a negative eye. But that’s not knowing their history well…
Scott Redding will begin its second campaign in WSBK as official Ducati and as such, he must definitively assert himself as the leader of the Borgo Panigale clan and as the first challenger of Jonathan Rhea. A challenge, because he will have a young teammate Rinaldi ambitious, a Chaz Davies vengeful and a newcomer far from being fundamentally a beginner even if he will discover the category in the person of Tito Rabat.
The two men have opposing social origins but their trajectories have crossed. For good, because their adventure sealed a deep relationship marked by respect. The Englishman says of his colleague: “ I'm sure he'll love being in the World Superbike Championship. The races and the atmosphere are a bit like before. And I know Tito is that type of guy too ", said Redding on the WorldSBK website. “ He loves to run and I think he will be strong. He has been training with a Ducati Panigale V4S for a long time. So he already knows the superbike quite well. He is definitely a great person and an asset to the paddock. It's good that he is now with us in the World Superbike Championship »
Scott Redding: “I have a lot of respect for him”
For many years together in the Grand Prix paddock, the two drivers have also become closer personally: “ first of all, Tito is a great and funny guy. He is very humble. I have a lot of respect for him ", said Redding. " When I broke my leg in Valencia two years ago, he visited me in the hospital and helped me a lot. I'm still very grateful for that because I was in a really bad place at the time. Nobody really wanted to help me, they did ».
The paths of Redding and Rabat crossed paths in 2006 in the Spanish 125cc championship, two years later they both competed in the 125cc world championship. In 2015, they were even teammates of Team Marc VDS: Redding in MotoGP, Rabat in Moto2.
Rabat will undoubtedly appreciate this warm welcome from his colleague. In the meantime, he is training like a madman, filing down all the Spanish circuits he finds with his Ducati Panigale V4S. And it pushes to the limit and even beyond as this recent fall in the Balearic Islands shows. “ I'm always on the limit » confirmed the Spaniard, commenting on his accident on the 3,2 km long circuit…
