Money “coming from riders” in WorldSBK, “I think it’s bulls**t” - Scott Redding

Former WorldSBK race winner Scott Redding says “it’s bullsh*t” that riders have to pay for rides in the series.

Redding himself paid to ride for the MGM Bonovo team this year as it switched from BMW to Ducati and downsized from two bikes to one.

Although the 2025 World Superbike season started well in Australia for the British rider with three top-five finishes, the European season has been more tricky.

A solid Race 1 at Donington last weekend saw Redding back in the top-six, although that was followed by a DNF and a 12th on Sunday.

Off the track, Redding’s future is uncertain. He stayed with Bonovo for 2025 as it downsized in order to try to propel himself back to the Aruba.it Ducati team. He admits that plan has not worked, and so is trying to find an alternative path for the next chapter of his career.

Scott Redding: "Everyone in the paddock is getting paid apart from half the riders"

“I need to look for my future, I need to look what is the right direction for me and my family, and what I enjoy,” Scott Redding said after Race 1 on Saturday at the UK WorldSBK.

“This weekend I’ve been enjoying, so it’s going to be tough to understand what happens in the future.

“The big thing, as well, is there’s not a lot of money coming from teams, it seems to be coming from riders and I completely disagree with this, I think it’s bullsh*t.

“But this is the world we’re in; either you’re going to accept it and pay, as I’ve done this year, and I agreed and I knew because I wanted to try to make this step and go back to Aruba [Ducati].

“Didn’t work, but I won’t do it again, so I need to see what doors are open.”

Redding added that he needs to find enjoyment from racing, and to do that he needs to be in a competitive situation.

“I want to enjoy racing and I enjoy being competitive,” he said.

“Today [Race 1 at the UK Round], I enjoyed it. But I only enjoyed it because my other results are kind of bad.

“So, I’m like ‘Sixth! That’s good.’ You tell me sixth position five years ago I’d have been like ‘Bit of a sh*t weekend but I’ll take it.’

“You’ve got to understand where your level is and I need to get paid. We are entertaining people, everyone in the paddock is getting paid apart from half the riders that are paying to do it.

“For me, that’s not fair, that’s not the way to do it. If a team came to me and said ‘Okay, have this much and we pay for your travel and the bike is reasonably good,’ I would consider to stay.

“But if a team comes and says ‘You need to pay,’ you can finish the conversation there. I’m not interested, because I have a baby to think about, a wife, my future.

“I don’t want to go to work after I’ve been grafting since I was 15-years-old [to be] a world class rider, and I’ve done nothing else except from be dedicated to the sport.

“So, I’m not going to throw all of my money away now to try and survive in World Superbike.

“For me, it’s nice to be here, but when I look to my past it’s different to many riders.

“To many riders, their goal is to be in World Superbike or to win in World Superbike, to be World Superbike Champion.

“The ultimate dream, which is unreachable for most, is to go to MotoGP. I’ve been there, I’ve done it, I’ve had podiums in MotoGP, I’ve fought for a Moto2 world title, I was the youngest rider to win, I’ve won BSB, come to World Superbike, fought for the championship in my first year.

“I’ve done a lot. I haven’t quite got what I want, but when I look back I’m not now going to let it go to stay here.”

Scott Redding 'understands' he won't get a factory ride

He added: “To stay in World Championship would be great, but [...] a factory team’s not going to look at me. I feel like there’s other guys they would go to, younger guys, guys from MotoGP, guys in Moto2.

“I understand, I was that guy many years ago, I’m getting older.

“Satellite teams don’t really have the money to pay riders, and if they pay the riders is it really worth it for the travel et cetera?

“So, I would like to stay here, but the options I see are quite slim to have a combination with a good bike, a salary – in a respectable way, what I think should be fair.”

A change of championships could be on the cards, then, for Redding, and he’s clear that his past in BSB makes him an attractive proposition for teams in that paddock.

“If I go back to BSB, I’m a star from being champion there, I feel the people enjoy me being there, the racing is good, I have more of a profile,” he said.

“It’s a bit easier for me to negotiate a situation that will help me in the longevity for my career, rather than stay here and, after two years, be like ‘I’ve lost all my money, what the fuck do I do now?’

“So, I don’t want to do that.”