At the Dutch GP Octo Pramac Yakhnich’s Scott Redding secured only his second MotoGP™ podium after finishing in third, after a tricky start to the season that had seen him secure two top ten finishes, but also finish outside the points twice and record three DNF’s:
Scott before Assen, 2016 had been rather a mixed season hadn’t it?
“When we have had everything going well, we have had some quite good results. I’m a bit disappointed with the bike stopping, a few tyre issues, but it has been out of our control.
"When we have been doing our thing and everything is going right, we seem to be doing quite a good job. We have been working to improve to try and get closer to the front and we have been doing that.”
Did the podium at Assen feel like a just reward for all of the work you guys have put in?
“Assen was different. We knew it could throw up some difficult weather conditions. Like I said before, when you get these kind of track conditions, the Independent Teams and especially myself, need to take advantage of them. I am happy we managed to keep it together for the race and not crash in the first part. Then I did a good job to catch the front guys in the second race. We had to take our time and just find the rhythm that we wanted to find. We didn't want to rush it too much.”
How frustrating was it, having made your way up to third in the first part of the race, to see the red flag come out?
“On one hand I was annoyed, as I felt like they waited for a lap when Rossi was in front before they red-flagged it. But also, it was quite dangerous, for four laps I couldn't see anything. That is the reason I caught the guys I think, by taking the risk. I couldn’t see anything and was just going by feeling, guessing where I was going. For that reason I was happy it got red-flagged in the end and we got to restart the race.”
They say that the rain is a great leveller, so does the fact that you have achieved two podiums in the wet now fill you with confidence in your abilities?
“Riding in the wet is more about feeling. My feeling is not amazing with the Ducati, but I can make it work. The Honda was good in the rain, the Ducati is not bad, just a bit looser feeling, but you can make it work somehow. Even in the dry, we are getting close to the guys. We have consistently been in the top six or eight in practice and we have come through during Qualifying. It is shame we haven't finished more races, because when we have broken down I have been in a good position. We will just have to see what we can do in the second half of the season.”
After such a frustrating start to the season you seem to have a great vibe in the team at the moment, is it fair to say your confidence has returned?
“Yeah, I mean I never really lost confidence before because it wasn't my fault. When the bike has broken down, we were in a good position, we had had a good weekend. It wasn't really me so I didn't lose the confidence. It’s not even to do with the team, it has been an engine or tyre fault that is out of our control. So in the end I knew that I had it in me and the team believed I had it in me, its just getting it all to work at the right time.”
What does your first podium for Ducati mean to you?
“It was a great weekend! Front row, podium, and I met a new girlfriend! All in all it was a good weekend, but not every weekend will be like that. We will still have tough weekends, we will have to work hard to meet our targets in the dry. If I can finish inside the top 8 I am happy, anything else is just not good enough.”
With the changes for 2016, the Michelin tyres and spec electronics, do you think it has made it more of a level playing field?
“It has brought the racing closer, but the issue is when you have eight factory bikes ahead of you, getting inside the top eight is very difficult. They have much more development than us, that's just the way it is and you just have to accept that. At the back of the pack, it’s a bit closer, and in the mixed conditions you can achieve a bit more by putting your balls on the line, which you couldn’t do before.”
Up next is the German GP at the Sachsenring on the 17th of July, how do you think you will do?
“I don’t know, if I finish inside the top 8 I will be really happy. But who knows what can happen…”