Redding with PBM Ducati squad for 2019
Scott Redding will team up with Paul Bird Motorsport (PBM) for BSB season 2019, the pair resurrecting a partnership which saw team boss ‘Birdy’ back Redding in various junior championships at the start of his career which started in mini motos in 2001.
Scott Redding
“It’s fantastic to be coming to BSB, it’s a championship I’ve never raced in and learning the circuits is very much part of the challenge which I’m looking forward to most. This is a very exciting venture for me with a very competitive bike and the most successful team and I’m here to show what I can do. We will make the right preparations and I’m delighted the first round will be at Silverstone where I have great memories. MotoGP is tough and without the correct packages, it’s hard to win but BSB is at such a high level, I want to prove I’m capable of winning. It’s also a new experience and very important that I can race in front of my loyal fans in the UK more regularly.”
25-year-old Redding will have at his disposal the very latest and brand-new factory-backed Be Wiser Ducati V4 with full support from Ducati Corse.
In addition to their British Superbike Championship campaign, Redding and the Be Wiser Ducati Team are also planning on doing at least one event in the World Superbike Championship as a wild card, hopefully the UK round, once the calendar is finalised.
Current team rider Glenn Irwin is off to JG Speedfit Kawasaki next season while Be Wiser Ducati’s multiple time BSB Champion Shane Byrne’s future seems unclear. The six-time British Superbike Champion sustained major injuries early this season and while he has not announced his retirement, it seems clear that there is no seat for him at his old squad should be choose to return to racing.
Paul Bird, Team Owner
“Scott and I go back a long way and I’m delighted to continue our relationship in this latest chapter of his career. He’s a quality rider, as is anyone who can win at Grands Prix and we are confident he will be a title fighter in BSB aboard the Be Wiser Ducati next season. A lot of people have worked hard to put this deal together so thanks to them and thanks also to our outgoing riders Shakey and Glenn. They have done a great job for us over the years, but it was time to call it a day with them and I wish them well in future.”
The team have indicated that Redding’s teammate will be announced in the next couple of weeks.
Redding is a four-times Grand Prix winner who for the past five seasons has raced in the elite MotoGP class, claiming two podiums during that time. He is also a twice winner of the British Grand Prix on a 125 Aprilia in 2008 at Donington Park, where he still remains the youngest rider to win a GP aged 15 years and 170 days, and in 2013 at Silverstone aboard a Kalex in the Moto2 World Championship, where he narrowly missed out on the title due to injuries sustained prior to the final round. This season he has had a lacklustre season on the struggling Aprilia MotoGP machine and is currently ranked 21st on the MotoGP Championship points table.
