Redding "mad with myself" after latest crash at Portimao

BMW rider Redding has suffered a difficult run of form in the most recent two rounds of the series after a run of impressive podium finishes prior to that at Donington Park, Most and Magny-Cours.

Having predicted from the outset that Barcelona would be a difficult track for the M1000RR, Redding proceeded to crash out of both main races at the Catalan venue, albeit finishing eighth in the Superpole Race.

The Briton suffered a third consecutive tumble in a full-distance race in last Saturday’s Portimao opener as he battled the Ducati of Michael Ruben Rinaldi for seventh place on the final lap, eventually finishing 18th.

“I was upset with myself with the crash in the first race because there was no need to crash on the last lap,” Redding told the official World Superbike website about the Portimao crash. “I was mad for hours after.

“I just had to bring it home but I thought Rinaldi was a bit closer and I pushed a bit too much. 

“At Barcelona, I was not going for a podium, if I can get a top six [I would have been satisfied], it was possible. But I had to use the hard front tyre and I crashed with that [in the first race].

“I didn’t have a good feeling with the braking in the other race and I crashed. 

“The crash here was my fault. And it’s not over-riding, it’s just… I even take a step back on tracks where I know we’re not strong, but it’s almost not enough. 

“I am trying to improve and chase beyond the edge, but in some tracks when it’s hot it’s just gone. This is me racing on my limit.”

 

Redding salvaged seventh place in Sunday’s final race of the Portimao weekend, which ran to the full 20-lap distance, but had no answer for the pace of the frontrunners.

The 29-year-old admitted to being disappointed about being unable to put up a better fight at a track where teammate Michael van der Mark scored a victory for BMW last year, albeit in wet conditions.

“I needed to make something good [in Race 2] of a bad weekend,” reflected Redding. “We changed a lot on the bike and it helped me a lot with tyre life and feeling. 

“I saw the pit board, [the riders ahead] were pulling away by 0.5s a lap and they able able to put laps together, I am on the limit and I cannot show anything else. 

“I’m a bit disappointed with the weekend because here I thought we would have a little bit more, but where I am with BMW, we have to take it as it comes, see which circuits suit us, and when it’s not suiting us we need to work. 

“That’s why we made some big changes [for Race 2], collected some data and we’ll try and put something better together for the next round.”

Redding has now slipped to ninth in the standings ahead of the final three flyaway races that will round out his first campaign as a BMW rider.