Scott Redding talks about the issue of safety in the World Superbike Championship and regrets that some of his colleagues only change their minds after a death
Scott Redding was usually the rider most critical of the safety issue in the 2021 WSBK season. When the World Superbike Championship travelled to Most in the Czech Republic in August, the Briton didn’t mince his words and voiced his concerns about the run-off zones at the Autodrom Most.
Redding had previously tested with a production bike and found the circuit unsafe for the 240-odd hp World Championship Superbikes (something he objected to before the WSBK event).
In addition, Redding repeatedly complained about the aggressive riding style of some of his colleagues, especially Yamaha rider Toprak Razgatlioglu. After the eventual world champion aggressively pushed past Redding in the penultimate corner of race one, there were some heated duels of words at Parc Ferme.
Respect among riders not as pronounced as ten years ago
Is there still the respect among riders that there was ten years ago? “No, it’s different. It’s completely different,” Redding notes. “Today riders attack from the first corner, like in the case of Alex Lowes in Barcelona. He was lucky because there were 15 other riders behind him who managed to avoid him,” the Brit recalls of the WSBK event in September.
“A lot of riders are fighting for their careers,” Redding is aware. “But how much is a career worth and how much do you respect your opponents? That’s why I was so upset in Most. I didn’t feel it was the right course to race against each other like that. I had to listen to a lot of crap afterwards. I don’t care, I don’t care. “
“If something had happened, everyone would have criticised: ‘Oh yes, it was too hard, they should have done something.’ But nothing happened. But I always try to see both sides. What if something happens and what if nothing happens?”, Redding justifies his attitude.
World Superbike Championship paddock in shock at Jerez
How quickly a tragic accident can occur was seen a little later at the WSBK event in Jerez. In the first race of the Supersport 300 World Championship, there was an incident in which Dean Berta Vinales lost his life. The Superbike World Championship paddock in shock.
“What if he had just hurt himself? Nobody would have said anything. No one would have given it any thought,” notes Redding, who noticed changes in riding style among his colleagues. After the cancellation of the first race on Saturday, two main races were started on Sunday.
“The races were much quieter. The overtaking manoeuvres were a little less aggressive,” Redding notes. “I feel like it was kind of a reality shock for people in the paddock. It’s just sad that it takes a bad thing like that for everyone to wake up. “
Scott Redding questions the risks some riders take
“And that’s what I said in Most: it wasn’t safe. And I got a lot of nasty comments for that. But what would have happened if there had been an incident?”, the former Ducati factory rider asks himself and demands: “We shouldn’t take these risks. But that’s what we do and we race. If I want to get paid, then I have to race. That’s my job. “
There was a meeting during the race weekend in Most on Friday to discuss safety. According to insiders, it was agreed to reassess the situation in case of a rain race. Apart from that, sporting director Gregorio Lavilla remained determinedly on course and did not allow any cancellations.
But in Jerez, after the death of Dean Berta Vinales, the Dorna sporting director showed a different side of himself. “It was the first time I saw his human side. It hit him hard,” Redding recognises. “I have respect for him. In Most he didn’t show that side. At that time there was a meeting and he said that we should ‘go our own pace’ and ‘decide for ourselves how fast we go’. “
