After a difficult start to the season, the Briton is ready to face the rest of the season with the ambition of getting closer to the podium. “I expected more but we are working hard to get into the fight. Quartararo will win in MotoGP, Bautista will have an advantage in Sbk”
Salvatore Amoroso
– Milan
It was certainly not a dazzling start to the season for Scott Redding, the great protagonist of the Superbike winter after the passage from Ducati that brought the 29-year-old British rider on the BMW Motorrad team’s M1000RR. An adventure with different expectations but which does not seem to weaken the fighting spirit of the 2020 WorldSbk runner-up, who at the moment has to be content with fighting for a place on the edge of the top 10. Here are the words of the former Ducati who spoke at a Shark event in Milan.
The 2022 season got off to a bad start for her and BMW. What is the situation currently?
Honestly before the season I was definitely expecting more. Already the weekend in Aragon was very difficult. The tests had also been difficult and it disappointed us a lot. Then things have improved a bit but the results still don’t show the potential because we still have several problems. Now we are trying to work on the smallest details and for the continuation of the season we have to make the leap to try to stay firmly in the top 5.
So there is confidence for the second half of the season.
We still have some news to test, which is good for me. From my point of view, both BMW and I are pushing hard and they are working really hard to test the new components more and more, but they need time to refine and you don’t have much time during the season. We are working in all areas of the bike, from the frame to the suspension, in the engine and in the electronics. All. I believe that the package is sufficient to win the races but we have to work on all aspects of the bike.
She is a sort of hero of both worlds because she has raced for several years in both MotoGP and Sbk. What are, in your opinion, the differences between the two competitions?
The confrontation is more aggressive in Sbk, because we have three races and therefore three chances to gain, or lose, a lot of points. MotoGP, on the other hand, is more focused on perfection, on timing, in my opinion a little more boring: If you do well in the first laps, the bulk is done. It’s nice when the riders start fighting because the bikes are fast and the riders are very good, but I think SBK is more exciting because you always have to think about managing the tires, you have to have respect for your rivals and it’s more difficult. More difficult than what you see on TV.
Is there a lot of difference between the bikes too?
Yes and no. In the details yes, but in substance no. MotoGP bikes have more power and have better performing carbon brakes. The electronics, on the other hand, are very similar. Superbike in general is a bit more forgiving, because with a MotoGP one moment you are in the saddle the next moment you find yourself on the ground. From a technological point of view, however, compared to a few years ago when I was also in MotoGP, the gap has increased and is now much higher than in the Sbk.
How is the paddock experienced in these competitions?
It is very different. This is my first year in Sbk with the public due to the pandemic. For me it has always been nice to experience the track and walk around the paddock. Now there are so many people who come to see the races, a bit like the MotoGP of the past, with more people around and more chances to meet people for a photo, for an autograph or just to talk. There is a party atmosphere. On the other hand, when you go to MotoGP, everyone is hidden, no one can enter the motorhome, at 6 in the afternoon everything is already over and everyone has gone away. The typical atmosphere of competitions is less experienced. And this is a little sadder because it is the beauty of racing: you run, people can have an aperitif, there is music, you enjoy going to a race, but now in MotoGP everything is too serious.
In recent months he has challenged the system that pushes young people to forge ahead and finish in the MotoGP teams too soon. Can you tell us more?
Personally I believe that the categories should be thought of as in other sports: Moto3 at least 2 years, Moto2 at least another 2 years to then be able to do 5, 6 or even 8 years in MotoGP, earn money and then retire. Today, however, there are riders who make their debut in Moto3 and the following year may already be in MotoGP. It is not fair to others who have built up over the years. I think a lot depends on money: let’s consider an experienced rider like Marc Marquez, to give an example and say a random number, with a salary of 2 million a year. If you think instead of a young driver, the salary will be 200 thousand euros per year. It is a great savings. The riders who arrived in Top Class this year like Remy Gardner are under too much pressure and if they don’t do it how do you expect to stay there? They’ll take the next guy and his career won’t be over but he’ll have to try to relaunch himself in another place. I disagree with this system: the dream must remain to arrive in MotoGP and be successful, but first you have to work throughout your youth risking your life or retire to earn credits. Now if after two years you are not at the top you are replaced and you have to reinvent yourself. It is my opinion, I do not claim it is right or wrong but it is not correct. There will be many more guys coming to SBK from MotoGP, such as Lecuona, and will force many more experienced riders to stay out. It should all be much more structured. It’s crazy to put a 17 or 18 year old boy on a MotoGP bike.
Always talking about young people, safety is a hot topic especially in the entry categories. There are often dangerous races with fatal accidents. Do you think we can do more?
As for the materials, I don’t think we can do much more than we do now. The problem today is precisely with the very young, the pilots who are 16-17 years old. They believe that the following year they will be able to aspire to a MotoGP and for this they risk everything at any time to try to have that single opportunity. This is a big problem, because if I were their age too and had the opportunity to go to Top Class the following year I would give everything and more. Furthermore, the performance between the bikes is now all similar and the riders are all extremely close and if something happens there is no way to fix it. As for the kits and circuits, I believe the safety between airbags, escape routes and barriers is enough.
Who wins the MotoGP world championship this year and who in Superbike?
Quartararo could win because he has a good pace especially in the race. Aleix Espargaro is driving really impressively but I don’t think he can aspire to victory. In Sbk I think Alvaro Bautista can win because he has a big advantage, especially on the forehand because the Ducati is fast and because he weighs something like 53 kilos, something that is not very correct. I am for hard driving, but when you race against a guy who gains two tenths of a second on the straight, when you are in the lead you see him coming 20 meters behind, brakes in front and he passes you again on the straight you understand that he can win for that very reason. benefit. Don’t get me wrong, he is an absolute talent in driving but a rider with this talent and with this advantage can do it. He made mistakes a few years ago, mistakes he will never repeat again. If everything goes smoothly, he will be the champion.
Can your personal goal be the podium?
Yes absolutely, that is a goal but it will not be easy because even by gaining 4 positions there will always be a gap from the top 3. At least this if you exclude races with particular weather conditions. However, we are always in the development phase. After the start of the season in Aragon every race has made progress and we will certainly be closer to the end of the year.
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