As MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship resumed with the Pirelli Spanish Round, following a four-month break, Scott Redding broke his duck with victory in Race 1 at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto. With an air temperature reaching a peak of 38°c and track temperatures hitting 60°c during the race, conditions were very tricky on track.

Redding started the race from pole position after a stunning Tissot Superpole lap and while he lost the lead at the start, and fell to third, he never lost pace during the race and was able to pass rivals Toprak Razgatlioglu (PATA YAMAHA WorldSBK Official Team) and Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) to claim his maiden WorldSBK victory.

Redding said: “I’m very happy to have the first pole position and first win in the same day. It was really hot in the race; you almost don’t feel like you won the race. It’s so hot, you’re just trying to stay cool. But in the end, everyone is in the same suffering situation. We need to do the best that we can, when we can.

“The team have done a great job to give me a bike where I can get good feeling in these conditions and I’m happy. It would be nice to do the same again as we did today. The good thing is I suffered for 20 laps and won the race, so I’ve got some positives out of it. We have two more races so it would be nice if we could keep that momentum and finish both races strongly.”

With two more races on Sunday – the Tissot Superpole Race and Race 2 – Redding knows what he needs do to keep the Championship lead he gained in Race 1 with victory. With every team and rider making improvements to their bike following Saturday’s Race 1, the two races tomorrow are sure to provide intrigue and excitement.

You can follow the rest of the Pirelli Spanish Round, and the 2020 season, using the WorldSBK VideoPass!