Summer break helped Redding find confidence

Scott Redding showed signs of progress at the German Grand Prix and the Englishman is keen to bring that forward to this weekend’ race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Redding, who has had a very difficult transition to the factory Honda machine, was able to set top three times in practice in Germany but crashed out of the race on the opening lap.

This weekend however he’s looking forward to getting back on his bike after the summer break and is feeling rejuvenated ahead of the second half of the campaign.

“I really like the Indianapolis circuit, especially with the changes to make it more flowing,” said Redding. “It’s always been one of my favourite circuits on the MotoGP calendar. The summer break has given us the opportunity to think about the first half of the season, it wasn’t the start we wanted, but at the Sachsenring we definitely made a step so I hope in Indy we can start where left off and make improvements to the bike. I actually feel more confident now I’ve had some time away from the paddock so I’m looking forward to the weekend.”

Michael Bartholemy, the Marc VDS team principal, admitted that the first nine races have been difficult but praised the team and Redding for their efforts to turn things around.

“The first half of the season didn’t pan out as expected,” said Bartholemy. “But we need to focus on the positives and the team has worked tirelessly to get Scott more comfortable on the Honda. Scott has also had to significantly adapt his riding style to get the most from the bike. What we’re missing now is the consistency. We saw a step forward in our consistency in Germany and if we can continue to improve on this area then I think we’ll see an improvement on results in the second half of the year.”