Redding signs with Pramac

Scott Redding has signed to race with Pramac Ducati for 2016. The news, first revealed by MCN earlier this month, leaves Redding playing out the string following a disastrous year with the Marc VDS squad on the factory Honda that has seen him unable to consistently find performance in the bike.

It’s ironic that the news is announced during what has been one of Redding’s most competitive weekend’s of the season but it is merely the culmination of a relationship first touted three years ago. Having tested for Pramac in 2012 the former Moto2 vice-champion has always been in their sights since then but having moved to Gresini and Marc VDS in recent years Pramac has finally signed the rider they’ve been chasing.

Redding’s manager, Michael Bartholemy, told MCN “I don’t want to have a rider in my team that is unhappy and I have so much respect for Scott that if he tells me that he wants to do something I do everything I can to help him. It’s a shame that this season hasn’t worked out better but I have a lot of belief in Scott and know how good a rider he is.”

For Redding the difficulties of this year have led him to look for a solution to his problems. The main draw of the Ducati however wasn’t a quick fix to solve issues with his bike it was the desire of Ducati to have him on their bikes was much greater than the support he felt was forthcoming from Honda. On Friday Redding said:

“From what we’ve spoken to Ducati about I think it would be the same bikes the factory Ducati riders are on now,” said Redding. “It’s almost like Honda don’t want to have me or keep me whereas with Ducati, they really want to have me and I think that they will give me the best of the best for performance.”

For Redding it was clear that the decision has weighed on him. The appeal of staying with Marc VDS was clear, the team has supported him throughout his career, but the lure of a competitive bike and manufacturer support swayed Redding to make his decision and sign with Pramac.