Scott Redding jubilant after second straight Moto2 win

Marc VDS Racing rider Scott Redding extended his Moto2 world championship lead to a commanding 43-points after he delivered a dominant victory in Mugello to become the first British rider in over four decades to win back-to-back races in the intermediate category.

Just a fortnight after collecting his first Moto2 win in a rain-hit Le Mans race, Redding was in unstoppable form in Italy to maintain his fantastic start to the 2013 world championship campaign.

With his main title rivals faltering again, Redding delivered a faultless performance to easily streak away from Nicolas Terol and Johann Zarco in a 21-lap race he scarcely looked like losing once he hit the front again on lap 14.

Redding is in the form of his life and he has now been installed as the Moto2 title favourite, having scored almost twice as many points as any of his rivals in the first five races.

He said: “When you see any championship being won, consistency is the main thing. In Texas I could have pushed for the podium and crashed so I think to take fifth position is better than to take none. Sometimes you have to think in this way.

“I once got told that when you feel good take the most points you can and today was one of those days, just like Le Mans. I came into this season to fight for the championship and so far I think I have done a really good job.

“You have to make every race count and getting more points is building my confidence.”

Redding told MCN that his success in Mugello was even more gratifying than his maiden Moto2 triumph in France last month and he added: “I think this win is bigger. My uncle said once I’ve won race I start to win a lot. It was the same in the Spanish championship. I won one and won them all but I know it is not going to be that easy here because the level is so high.

“But it is the confidence you get by winning and to win on a track that is not my favourite and hard for me physically is great. But I was focused and blocking those things out to try and be the best and that’s what I am doing.”

Redding was able to perfectly execute his pre-race plan of shadowing Japanese rider Takaaki Nakagami in the early laps. Nakagami is a notoriously fast starter but also error prone and he’s crashed out of the last two races after leading.

He said: “How I planned the race before it started pretty much worked out perfect. I wanted to follow Nakagami because he is fast and when I could see the lap times slowing then I would make the next step and pull away.

“I did that but for some reason Terol and Zarco started catching me and I didn’t really understand how or why.

“I just followed them for a few laps to try and save my tyre and it worked really well. I wasn’t getting blitzed on the straight, which used to be my big disadvantage. Once I got back into the lead I pulled a gap and I think I controlled the race really well.”

Redding said he had briefly contemplated settling for a podium when Terol snatched the lead off him on lap 10 because of his reluctance to get dragged into a dogfight with the Spaniard and Zarco.

He added: “It crossed my mind when he first passed me but I couldn’t understand how he caught me. When he passed me I was expecting to have to fight to hold onto him but I was really comfortable behind.

“With Zarco there I checked back and saw the rest further back and thought if it turns into a big fight then I was going to settle for the podium. But Terol let me by and I felt good and once I broke their slipstream I could be consistent and make a gap.”

The last time a British rider won successive races in the intermediate class was way back in 1972 and Redding said he was proud of his achievement.

He added: “It gives me goose bumps because to do something like that is quite special and to get back-to-back victories is really good for me. For me to be breaking records is always good and back-to-back victories is something I never thought I would do, but things are coming I didn’t expect.”

For more exclusive reaction from Redding and MotoGP podium finisher Cal Crutchlow, see the June 5 issue of Motor Cycle News.