With the BMW winning races – but not in his hands – Scott Redding (Bonovo Action BMW) is as hungry as ever to be in the front battle at a circuit he enjoys. The TT Circuit Assen is a favourite for many but Redding has good memories with BMW there, having achieved his first top five with the German brand in Race 2 two years ago. Now, after a tricky start to 2024 but at tracks he’s never been strong at, Round 3 onwards should see a more competitive ‘Redding Power’ inside the top ten, with the top six his target.

The 30-year-old’s season started with a P11 in Race 1 at Phillip Island before three consecutive 17^th place finishes followed; 12^th in Barcelona’s Superpole Race and 11^th in Race 2 make it a small upturn in form, although Redding elaborated previously that his feeling with the bike is improving and that the result isn’t perhaps reflective of the progress. Three solid top ten results at Assen in 2023 will spur the British star on, even if it’s not been the dream start to the season for the #45.

“I don’t want to go with too much expectation because I’ve been bitten in the arse a few times with that but I’m feeling good for Assen,” began an ever-honest Redding. “It’s a track that I’m good at and my hunger and motivation are quite high for right and wrong reasons: knowing the bike can do it but it’s not me there doing it. That makes me hungry to be there to achieve it myself. The package has the potential so my goal is top six or top five and if we get them, then we can go home happy. If you’re in those positions, then you’re fighting for a podium. I’m not scared of a battle or a fight when the result is there to be taken.”

As far as BMW’s previous form at Assen goes, it perhaps isn’t their strongest circuit. Never with a win, podium, pole or fastest lap, they have two front row places to cheer about: Troy Corser’s P3 in 2010 and more recently, the mighty performance of Markus Reiterberger in 2019, when he took P3 on the grid and ran in the podium places for the opening laps in Race 1. However, BMW had also never had a win or podium at what is widely regarded as their weakest circuit in Barcelona, yet Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) quickly turned their fortunes around for his first wins with the manufacturer. With Redding’s best BMW-Assen finish of P5 coming two years ago, a trio of good points last year, could this year be different?

Explaining how vital the Tissot Superpole session is to give yourself a chance in the races, as well as a clean opening lap, Redding resumed: “Superpole is probably one of the most important sessions of the race weekend, it really can make it or break it. It’s one of the most stressful parts of a race weekend because you don’t have a lot of time to get it right. You only really get two chances and you have to pull it together. We have to be consistent through the races; it gets a bit chaotic at the start with some of these younger guys coming in; they’re trying to win the race in the first lap and it’s a bit crazy to be honest. When you don’t qualify at the front, you’re in the midst of all that and it’s quite sketchy. I’m more mature now and for me, you get points at the end of the race, not in the gravel on Lap 1 but then there’s always a knock-on effect. You need good starts, first laps and then you work on race pace.”

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