Scott Redding claims 'patience' is needed at BMW, ‘but I don’t have any’

After two very strong seasons at Ducati where he was a WorldSBK title contender, Redding’s move to BMW is one that’s at times led to frustration, disappointing results and criticism. 

Despite BMW’s 2022 rider line-up arguably being their best since becoming a full factory team in 2019, the performances have so far failed to match that claim, with the German manufacturer consistently being fifth best. 

While that was Honda’s unwanted status in 2021, the addition of rookies Iker Lecuona and Xavi Vierge, along with the impressive development that’s taken place at Team HRC, has instead helped move the Japanese marque up the order to become consistent top five challengers, which can’t be said for Redding or Bonovo BMW’s Loris Baz. 

That could have been different had Michael Van Der Mark not suffered a leg injury during a mountain bike accident in pre-season - the Dutch rider has missed three of the first four rounds - however, it remains unlikely that Van Der Mark would have been significantly quicker than Redding, if at all. 

‘We were lost with Redding in the first few rounds’, say BMW

Although Redding has looked slightly more comfortable over the last couple of race weekends, adapting to the M 1000 RR remains a challenge for the former MotoGP rider.

Speaking to WorldSBK.com, BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director, Marc Bongers said: "He took some adaptation and in the first few rounds I would say we were lost with him. Difficult to find the right base. Problems in many, many areas. 

"We had a test before Estoril where we reset the base of the bike and from that point, at least we are more consistent but we still have issues which we have to solve for him, mainly on the brakes and the drive out of the turns, where he’s still losing compared to our direct competitors."

‘I'm here to win’ - nothing else matters for 2020 WorldSBK runner-up Redding 

For BMW to become a Superbike powerhouse, turning potential into results needs to take place sooner rather than later. 

The team made a big statement when it signed a rider of Redding’s calibre, but as expected, the 2019 BSB champion has been unable to solve the bike’s weak points through his talent and ability. 

With Alvaro Bautista, Jonathan Rea and Toprak Razgatlioglu performing at a level we’ve never seen before in WorldSBK, BMW’s road to winning races appears to be tougher than ever.

It’s why Redding believes patience is needed, though the problem with that is, ‘I don’t have any. I’m here to win’.

When talking to Speedweek.com, Redding said: "BMW has the resources, but the racing department is quite small. This is good for being able to react quickly. But sometimes you need more staff to build a bigger project. Anything is possible - but how long will it take? 

"Many steps have already been taken but I don't know how many steps have been taken in the past four years and what I can expect for the next four years. 

"Patience pays off, but unfortunately I don't have any. BMW has the resources and they have a plan. I also think they have the people behind the scenes who can help. 

"It is good, if I'm the best BMW rider. But I'm here to win. If I can't do that, that's my problem and I have to deal with it. 

"Ultimately we have to work together as a group and improve tenths by tenths of a second and push the limit."