Scott Redding tried “unconventional moves” but just missed out on Assen BSB triple

Scott Redding was fifth on the BSB grid for the final race at a momentarily dry and sunny Assen, but with championship leader Kyle Ryde and rival Bradley Ray both on the front row, the former champion had work to do, making his way to the leaders for a brave all or nothing lunge in the final chicane, which left the Ducati rider third.

Having won the first two races, including the shortened sprint earlier in the day, Redding was set up for a possible triple, something which despite his championship win he had never achieved in BSB.

His first obstacle on track was Ryan Vickers, who was setting lap records to stay with Ryde and Ray ahead, as the Ducati rider explained to British Superbikes after the race, in their Podium Reactions interviews:

“Physically, that was the easiest race for me, mentally one of the hardest, trying to overtake. It took me forever to try and get past Ryan. I don’t know why with this bike I’m just struggling with just exit grip out of the corner.

Like, it’s so hard to set up an overtake, and I was like, “just be patient, be patient” - I was getting a bit impatient - I just had to keep telling myself it’s a long race”.

Having lead the way for much of the two races before it was now the number 45 rider's time to be in behind, something which he added he felt more comfortable with, until it came to the time for a final assault for victory, having caught the duo ahead:

“But through all the fast bits, it was so much easier being behind. Like I know when I was leading the other races, it’s hard to kind of get away because of the fast bit. So I was very comfy through there. I just had to try and make unconventional moves and try and do stuff that I wouldn’t really expect myself to do, but everyone was riding so good that it was so hard - and then when Brad and Kyle started battling I was like “alright, I need to kind of look at this as a three-way battle not a two-way battle.

I don’t know what happened  but I ended up second, was it like the last chicane or something? Last lap? I don’t know”.

Redding saw his chance and although his vast experience at Assen - a visitor in the MotoGP classes and across his time in BSB and WSBK - told him it would probably not pay off, while he remains in with a shot at the title he decided it was worth a chance, explaining:

“Something happened and I was like “right now, I’ve just got to go” - but Kyle’s bike is really good just getting off the corner, so it’s hard for me to make a pass without making it dangerous, should we say.
And it’s been a bit of an issue all year. I can have the pace, but to overtake is difficult.

Then, yeah, the last lap I just thought, you know, the championship is on the line, I have to win, so at that point I thought the only place I can do it is into the last chicane, but I had a bit of a big slide out of the right coming back towards the stadium section and a gap was there and I just thought “man, what you going to do now?”

So, I’m pretty good into that last left, I always have been and I just went very late on the brakes and just fully committed to it. And Kyle was protecting, he was going wider and wider and I was like “mate, I’m going to be on the kerb at full lean angle” but I don’t have a choice. I just said to myself “when he brakes, you have to brake after” - so that’s what I did”.