The prodigal son is back. After three years on a BMW, Scott Redding made his return on a Ducati V4R in the Jerez tests. It was a moment that the British rider was eagerly awaiting, as he ended the day by treating himself to a Panigale hat trick with the third fastest time.
"It's good to be back here. How do I feel? Honestly, great," Scott said warmly. "This long wait, due to the fact that I couldn't test the bike at the end of last season, lit a fire in me that I had never felt before and that continued to grow every day I couldn't be on the bike. This turned out to be an advantage, because it motivated me a lot during the winter, and it was good to get that motivation back. Getting on the bike today was first a shock. It was very different, and I struggled more than I expected. But when I found the feeling again and got into my rhythm, I said to myself, 'okay, this is my bike'."
After all, Redding found a much more evolved Rossa than the one he rode in 2021,-his last season as a Ducati factory rider.
"It's hard to say how different this Ducati is from the last one I rode, because I was on a different bike for three years," he noted. "What I can say is that the road bike I trained with was similar to the one I rode in the past, so I thought it would be the same. But, when I got on it, the power was different, as was the stability of the brakes. Everything was evolved and developed, and I didn't expect that. As soon as I started getting the rhythm, I realized that what was done is better than before."
The 2020 British Superbike champion never seemed more motivated in his career than he is this winter, and he explained what this extra charge comes from.
"We can say that this is the most motivated Scott Redding of his career. I happen to think I should've had this mentality even three or five years ago but, when I moved to the BSB, I was coming from a dark period. It was a different championship, and I enjoyed it. When I came to the Superbike, I told myself I had to be more professional, but I was coming here as a champion, and I was motivated to win, especially on tracks I had never been to. That was my goal. The second year, I was more at ease, but my focus was different. I probably needed to hit rock bottom to see how good what I had was. I had a great package, and the bike and the team were great, but you always feel like there's something better," Scott admitted, explaining how his mindset changed after moving to BMW.
"After three years, I felt that if I could get back on that bike I would have to use it 100 percent and I would have to realize that what I have is really what is best for me. That's what gave me the motivation to take the risk to stay on this team with a Ducati. Even though I don't get paid, and I have a family to support," he emphasized. "This is a big return for me. I have to prove that next year I won't pay to race again. I have to get paid, that's the way things go, but I was in a situation where I could take a bike I thought I could win with, or go somewhere else and then end my career. I was on the edge, but my manager, my wife, and my family pushed me to make that decision, so I thought, 'Okay, it's my time. It's now or never'. I want it badly because it's something I have to do, and that's what makes the difference. I've never been more motivated because I believe I have the right bike, the right people, the right team, and everything I need to make it. If I didn't believe that, I'd be better off staying home."
Leaving behind his seasons in BMW, the 32-year-old rider wants nothing more than to make the most of his second chance on a Ducati.
"To be honest, I don't want to talk about the differences between Ducati and BMW. That's a chapter I closed in Jerez, when the season ended. Ducati doesn't need information about BMW, None of them ever asked me anything about it. They just came by the garage to check how it was going and see if I was having fun," he concluded.