Scott Redding: Rivals for this year are the same, but I don’t care
While the former BSB champion has made his expectations for this season well known, goals that involve fighting for WorldSBK wins come the final few rounds, Redding is unlikely to find the same level of success, at least in his first season at BMW as he did with Ducati.
Redding has been one of the more consistent riders since joining WorldSBK in 2020 - 12 wins which is third best of any rider.
And although Redding wasn’t a serious title threat come the final round of both seasons, Redding has pushed Toprak Razgatlioglu and Jonathan Rea to elevate their level further.
Speaking about his rivals for 2022, Redding listed Razgatlioglu and Rea as his main opponents once again, even though BMW are unlikely to mount a title challenge in 2022.
Redding told WorldSBK.com "My biggest rivals this year are the same that they've always been. Maybe at the beginning of the season there will be a few more. There are some new guys into the championship and we need to see how they fair up.
"Some guys have changed manufacturers which can change a few things. But honestly, I don’t care.
"What’s important for me is that on race day who is the better guy and who has done the work and has the package to get the best result."
After completing his first WorldSBK test of the year in Misano, Redding is already being ‘realistic’ about where BMW currently stands.
Redding finished the two-day test nine tenths off Alvaro Bautista (P6), the man who replaced him at Ducati.
Redding continued: "I don’t want to say I’m going to win the championship because it’s more unrealistic. I would like to build the bike through this year.
"So if we finish in fifth I want to start getting to the podium, if we’re on the podium then you can start to fight for a win. That’s always my goal. I don’t try to be super far-stretched. I need to be realistic.
"We have a bike that is good but it needs to be fine-tuned a little bit more. This is the goal and that at the end of the season we are fighting for victories.
"Long-term project with BMW is to be world champion."
