Scott Redding had a difficult Saturday at Magny-Cours, after an eighth in Superpole translated to 12th, and a crash, in the afternoon race.

Redding was not expecting too much from Magny-Cours after seeing the weather conditions and understanding his bike as well as he does now after one and half seasons in WorldSBK as a Ducati rider.

“A little bit different to manage compared to the other tracks, but I think that’s also because I haven’t had any dry track time here, even though in my head I think I have,” said Redding, remembering that 2020’s race weekend was always some degree of wet.

“When I went out and it was like wet/dry I was overshooting brake marks. I wasn’t really riding relaxed. I was kind of maybe riding over the limit. Didn’t feel the limit, but I didn’t feel relaxed. I was kind of just a little bit off-line, a little bit off-line. Then the bike was not really working in its good working range for me.”

That range has a limit and it changes depending on the track and weather, according to Redding, who fell in Race One, remounting and scored only a handful of points.

“I was chasing the line all the time,” he continued. “So, I was quite happy with the morning because for that little bit of track time I kind of got straight into it, which was good. Then this afternoon, I didn’t feel good in the beginning. We tried a new engine brake map and it was just all over the place. I was out-braking myself again. I just come in and was like, let me go out again and reset. Got the engine brake right, then I got some rhythm. I put a tyre at the end so I could improve to get my feeling on the higher speed. So, I was quite happy. I have work to do. I’m not going to sit here and say it’s all great, but I feel good.

"I feel good on the bike, even though I had to wrestle it a little bit, but I know that it will come easier with more laps when I feel more comfortable at that speed. So, it looks like on lap times everyone seems to be struggling to put a lap together. One of those circuits where it’s very easy to make small mistakes that have a big value of cost. I’m quite happy. It’s a fun track. Pretty cool. A bit up and down. It’s got weird corners. You’re dropping down and stuff like that, which when you’re not used to it, it’s definitely a bit different but after laps, you get used to it. Coming down to the last corner is a bit scary but good. I’m enjoying it.”

Two weeks after agreeing terms with BMW for 2022, and leaving Ducati, what was the feedback for Redding - even the pushback from the public? There have been many opinions expressed about it, but Redding is as ‘whatevs’ as ever.

“Really the only stuff I’ve seen is on social media - probably not the best thing to look at!” He said on Saturday  

“It’s like water off a duck’s back to me. It don’t really bother me. If anything, I find it quite funny. The thing that surprised me the most is people commenting like, ‘Scott’s just gone for money. Coming to the end of his career. He signed to the other manufacturer. You’re not going to get no results.’ I’m kind of thinking, I don't know if you’re watching the same race as me, but actually if you take me out of the equation, they’ve been doing as good as results as the bike that I’m on now. So, if you took me out, actually where I’m going seems to be coming better. So, I just kind of find it amazing.

"Sometimes manufacturers and brands getting named for how they start, but people don’t give them the credit for the years of working and building their product, like Aprilia in MotoGP. Took their first podium. I was quite happy for them because for where they came from and the episodes I had with them. I don’t really hold grudges, but I didn’t have a great time there. Just goes to see if I take that out of it, can’t hold a grudge forever, and you see that they just kept working and they’ve arrived there. Now people start to see a different aspect of it.

“Ducati many years ago, they were struggling. They were struggling but in one moment they find their rhythm, they start to get better, then they have the respect of ‘it’s the best bike’. Six, seven years ago anyone that signed to go there was basically going for retirement. So, everyone kind of gets this backlash talk when really people don’t think about it. People do move on. People do improve. People do develop. It’s the same with machinery. I find it quite funny, to be honest with you. It really did make me chuckle a little bit. I don’t look too much, but that’s all I saw, really.”