Scott Redding signed off from two years at Aruba.it Ducati with a double podium in Indonesia’s WorldSBK finale.

The stated aim of all involved when Redding took over the factory Ducati Aruba ride in 2020 was to be World Champions. It didn’t quite happen in 2020, nor again in 2021, but although there were two riders above him this year, the delta in points from the top three this season - Toprak Razgatlioglu, Jonathan Rea and Redding - to the next best rider Andrea Locatelli was huge.

With Redding 63 points behind the new champion Toprak, he was 210 points up on Loka.
In Mandalika, Redding failed to add to his 2021 win tally of seven, but again the next nearest rider in those terms was his own teammate Michael Ruben Rinaldi, with three.

Podium finishes of all kind illustrate how close Redding was to the two true final championship challengers, with Rea on 30, Razgatlioglu on 29 and Redding 23, the next best competitor (Rinaldi again) scored seven.

There was a big three in 2021, sure enough.

Speaking in his final Ducati press conference before he moves to BMW in 2022, Redding said, of the rainy second race on Sunday in Indonesia, “To be honest, I was in the pit box, I was ready. I don’t want to not race. I want to at least try, to finish the championship. All the Indonesian fans, they waited yesterday. I was like, we have to try. Then I said, ‘Okay. None of us have any experience in the rain’. I said to Gio, ‘just going to commit to the first corner, see what happens and just fight. Put on a show’. Normally I would maybe be a bit more conservative. Not today. Just overtake, overtake, overtake. Because I wanted to make a show.

“I think for Jonathan it was the same. Just keep battling, fighting. When I was behind, I felt faster. Then I passed him and it was like he felt faster. He passed me, and when I was behind him, it was strange. But I think it was because we were adapting every lap. So, it was great to finish on a race like this for the end of the season. It was probably one of the best battles that I’ve had, especially in rainy conditions. I can’t wait to watch the race back. Super happy that we could do that race.”

Like the questioner, Redding felt that the final race was much longer than 12 laps.

“Yeah, it did! I was looking and I was like, eight laps to go? I’ve already done like six laps! It was going on and on. Normally it goes quick, like a ten-lap race. But it didn’t. Maybe they put more laps in that we didn’t know about! It doesn’t matter. 12 or 23, it doesn’t matter. But it was just good to have a 12-lap race.

"Everyone was kind of tired, kind of over the weekend. I was in the box like, ‘Ugh, I need to race.’ I was already in recovery mode. 12 laps, get it done. When the rain was coming up on the track and it was a fine line. A couple of times I thought, ‘if more rain comes, we need to stop.’ So, it just worked out good. I’m happy that they ran it. Gregorio [Lavilla, WorldSBK Sporting Director] did a great job. He had come and spoke to the riders. I said to him, ‘at least let us check.’ If he wants us to check, I’m happy to check. If it’s okay, we race. It was nice to have that.”

After a full weekend on a literally all-new track, Redding was able to give a measured opinion on how the surface now is, dry and wet.

“So much grip in the rain it was unbelievable. Considering no setup for electronics, suspension for riders, the track had a lot of grip. So, it made it quite fun and interesting because you’re not just sliding everywhere. You can actually push a little bit. Same in the dry. If the temperature was cooler, I think this track has a lot of grip. But it has been good racing here in Mandalika.”

There was one issue still with standing water, as Redding explained. “Yeah, this was a bit of a problem. This was why we were delayed for so long. But I think the track was very rushed to make it in time. I said it was unbelievable that all the people here worked day and night to make this happen. I’m very grateful for it, but when you rush, sometimes you forget or mistakes happen. It’s normal. For sure don’t expect rain. Not this heavy rain. The drainage is one thing that needs to be improved, but we learn. It was the first time here and six months ago it was nothing. So, I really appreciate all the work from everybody that helped build up this circuit in such short time.”

A good final weekend for Ducati, two podiums, but … “I would like to have won,” said Redding. “I wanted to win. I pushed so hard this morning. I pushed so hard now because I wanted to win one more time for them. That was my goal. That was what I pushed for. But, I tried.

“I think they see the heart and the passion that I have and this is important. I showed it all of this year, all of last year, what I’m capable of, and I will never give up. The season was good. A couple of mistakes from my side, also from the team, which kind of cost me the championship. You need a bit of luck also to win a title. I just had not really the good one. It was not bad, but it cost me a lot in the beginning of the season and I was trying to play catch-up, and then a mistake. But it goes like this. In the end, just happy to take top three in the championship. Is always good just to fight again to the last two races. So, I’m happy.”

Now a new dawn for Redding in WorldSBK, on a BMW M1000RR, which he will ride soon.

“Middle of December we’re looking at getting out on the new bike,” he confirmed. “It’s important for me to hang up the Ducati leathers, put the new suit on, and go and test a new bike because I want to understand. I don't want to go into the off-season thinking, ‘okay, what does it feel like? What is this?’ I want to have some days’ riding easy, let me understand, then push a couple of days and see what we maybe need to improve. But at least give me the feeling that I can go away, training with a good focus.”

A new team-mate in 2021, one Michael van der Mark. What does Redding think about that prospect?

“Van der Mark seems pretty okay,” he said. “A bit aggressive on the circuit, but off track seems a nice guy. I speak with him sometimes, which is quite easy. The good thing is two ‘big’ riders, so for the project it’s good. Just a teammate, just someone I need to try and beat.”