Redding: When people doubt me I want it even more

Scott Redding wants to prove his doubters wrong at the Bennetts British Superbike championship decider as he looks to seal the riders’ title at Brands Hatch.

The Be Wiser Ducati rider goes into the triple-header finale with a 28-point lead over teammate Josh Brookes meaning he only has to finish on the rostrum in each race to seal the BSB title regardless of what both Redding or Oxford Racing Ducati’s Tommy Bridewell can produce.

But with Brookes sealing a dominant double victory at the Brands Hatch summer round earlier this season, while Redding made a poor tyre call in mixed conditions in Race 1 before having to settle for third place in Race 2, many have predicted the title fight will go down to the wire across the three races this weekend.

Reflecting on his season up to this weekend, Redding feels he’s been able to gather momentum coming into the Showdown adapting from MotoGP to BSB and doesn’t expect that trend to stop at the final round - having taken four wins out of four races in the top-six title fight so far.

“This year has been really good; I have enjoyed the championship and the racing has been great and now we have just got Brands Hatch to try and finish the job,” Redding said. “I feel like I have been the strongest rider in the Showdown so far but I have been building all season for this.

“The results at Brands Hatch earlier in the year doesn’t show how strong we really were there and the pace that we had; I took a gamble on the tyre choice in race one and then had a podium in race two and we had pole position. I think some people think that it might not be the best track for me and I might not be as strong there, but when people doubt me I want it even more.”

Redding accepts he comes into the BSB finale as favourite given his healthy points gap but doesn’t want to lean on that advantage at Brands Hatch against Brookes and Bridewell.

“I am definitely in a prime position; I didn’t start the season saying what I could do and I have just been working hard and building up so that we were strong for the Showdown,” he said. “I am getting stronger and more confident. I wanted to build throughout the year and now it’s the time.

“I am really calm now and with how I am and what we can do at Brands Hatch. I get even more motivation from the energy and the big support that I get from the fans and I think there is going to be a big atmosphere next weekend.”

This weekend will also mark Redding’s last round in BSB as he prepares to move to the World Superbike championship in 2020 with the Aruba.it Racing Ducati squad.