I “grew up racing” Marc Marquez, “he had money and backing, I had nothing”

An early opponent who beat Marc Marquez when they were teenage up-and-comers has described how important it is to receive backing.

Scott Redding still forged out a career at the highest level of motorcycle racing, where he remains, in the World Superbike Championship.

But he looks back at his early days - when he was good enough to out-perform Marquez - as a key turning point.

“We grew up racing each other. I spent a lot of time beating him on 125ccs,” Redding told the Motorsport Republica podcast.

“But then he had a lot of money and backing from Red Bull and Repsol, and I had basically nothing.

“He went into a factory KTM team which was built for him. That followed throughout his career.

“I had a management who didn’t know the sport - what I should be saying, doing, what I should be wearing.

“I was the wild child, I wasn’t obeying rules. For me, rules are to be broken! That’s how I looked at it, that’s why I have the personality that I have.

“You see how it changed our careers. If I had it different, my career would have turned out differently.

“But I wouldn’t change it because it has made me who I am today.”

Redding became the youngest grand prix winner ever in 2008, aged 15, when he won the 125cc race at Donington Park.

Marquez was among the rivals left trailing in his wake on that historic day.

But Marquez’s talent was obvious too and, two years later, he won the 125cc title. Redding had stepped into Moto2 by then.

The esteemed Marquez went on to become an eight-time world champion, and is vying for a ninth this year.

Redding spent five years in MotoGP on a Honda, a Ducati and an Aprilia. He switched to the British Superbike Championship which he won at the first attempt in 2019.

He then finished third in WorldSBK on a Ducati in 2021 and, after a bad spell at BMW, he is rediscovering his form after jumping back on a Ducati this year.