Fed up of F1 drivers and their scripted PR soundbites? MotoGP star Scott Redding has already proven himself a straight-talking, no-nonsense kind of bloke in two previous interviews with PH2, first on his move from
Moto2 to MotoGP
second
this time last year. After a difficult season with Honda he's not pulling any punches in explaining his move to Ducati. Here's his - edited - side of the story. Trust us when we say the full version wouldn't have got past the swear filter…
Ready and raring to go for 2016!
Last time we spoke you were really optimistic about the 2015 season on a Honda RCV the same spec as Marc Marquez's one. What happened?
"The bike was a 2015 RCV, the same spec as Marc was on at the start of the season. The bike itself wasn't as good as Honda expected and Marc himself went back to the 2014 chassis, as well as a different exhaust system and a stack of other things. We were trying but I just didn't feel that comfortable on the bike and, while I could ride it fast, at that level you need to be at 100 per cent in every area."
In simple terms, what was different?
"Marquez didn't hit a podium at the beginning of the year until HRC [Honda Racing Corporation] gave him a new chassis, which is when he stopped crashing and won the next race. The Repsol team was getting new exhausts that smoothed the power delivery, which was a problem as it was too aggressive on my bike. When you first touched the throttle it would always spin. Also, my size didn't help as the Honda is built for small riders such as Dani Pedrosa and Marc. I wasn't the right weight for the bike's balance. It was a lot of small areas that caused us to struggle."
Redding seemingly glad to have left Honda behind
But your season picked up midway through, did you get to grips with the bike?
"I had a few good races, but that was down to me taking advantage of track conditions. At some tracks I could physically force the bike to work, but at some tracks I was faster in 2014 on the open class Honda than the 2015 factory bike."
But you got a podium at Misano?
"Yes, but that was down to taking big risks in s**t conditions. I had nothing to lose and it all fell into place, it was one of those days. To be honest I wasn't that ecstatic about it; I didn't feel like I battled or worked for it, it was down to conditions rather than racing."
What was the thinking behind the move to Ducati?
"Ducati has always wanted me and that was a good sign. I had a two-year contract but mentally I was drained. A racer lives on results and I was at the end of two years with no good results and I didn't want a third. I asked my manager to speak to Ducati and thankfully they wanted me as well."
Misano podium was tough work!
What would you have done if Ducati had said no?
"I'd have gone to World Superbikes. I don't go racing to make up the numbers, I go to make results. When you are putting in the same effort as the guys who are winning but you are getting nothing back, that's not for me."
What is the feeling like in the Ducati squad?
"Very good. The Pramac guys have been welcoming, there is no stress and the factory team is really interested in me as well, which is good. Gigi Dall'Igna [Ducati Corse General Manager] is always trying to help and that's a complete contrast."
What spec of Ducati are you on?
"I'm on a GP15 and the bike I tested was the factory bike Michele Pirro raced in Valencia, which was part of the contract. The Pramac team is like a junior factory team and to be honest they are basically a factory team. We had the factory guys in our garage during testing and they really helped us find our way."
Do you fit the Ducati better than the Honda?
"Yes, the riding position is better. It felt strange at first as the bars are higher and the tank high but narrow, but it feels larger despite being the same size as the Honda. The higher tank means I can use more of my leg to turn the bike and hold it down, which I couldn't do on the Honda as it was so small, and the Ducati's fairing is bigger. The Ducati's engine is more powerful than the Honda's and you can use it. Now I am thinking "let's get fit and ready to be competitive." My whole mentality is different."
Will the rule changes help you in 2016?
"Yes, as everyone starts on the same base. I was five years behind everyone else on the Bridgestone tyres, but now we are all new to Michelins. It's a new start for everyone and the guys who are used to Bridgestones are struggling. It's the same with the electronics; the previous five years of data isn't as useful and what you need is a strong team to work together and sort the data out. We have eight Ducatis on the grid, which can only help the job. That said, during the test I didn't touch the electronics that much. I'm happy to ride the bike as it is. The Ducati makes a lot of noise and feels quite rough, but f**k it, it works!"
Nice jumper by the way...
"Cheers."