Scott bets on slick tires on a wet track and takes a stunning victory at Aragon
This Sunday at the Motorland circuit of Aragon (Spain) will not be easily forgotten, also due to the unpredictable weather conditions.
A day full of emotions for the Aruba.it Ducati – Racing team, started with the disappointment for the Superpole Race and finished with the heroic victory of Scott Redding.
Superpole Race
Both Redding and Rinaldi started the race with rain tires, but they had to face some difficulties from the first lap: the rain was not as heavy as in the morning, and the race gets complicated for both the riders.
Scott tried to push in the first 2 laps taking the lead, but soon he was no longer able to secure his position against his opponents, who chose the intermediate tires.
The Englishman fought until the end to finish in P8 and gaining, at any rate, 2 points.
Race-2
It was tricky to guess the track conditions. The rain had stopped falling but the tarmac was still wet and chances of a new storm were high.
Scott Redding lined up on the grid with the intermediate tires, but at the very last moment right before the start, he decided – the only one to make this choice – to opt for the slicks tires, both on the front and on the rear. The English rider won big on his bet: he regains seven positions in the first six laps, and then he takes the lead on lap 7, winning the race almost 10 seconds ahead of Rea (Kawasaki).
Scott Redding, Michael Rinaldi, and the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team now move to Portugal for the second round of the 2021 season, which is taking place next weekend at the Estoril circuit.
Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #45)
“Yes, it’s true, I took a big risk. In my career, however, the intermediate tires have betrayed me twice, both times when I was close to achieving a great result. For this reason, without hesitation, I asked my team to put on slicks tires. In the first few laps I tried not to make any mistake and then, obviously, it was not difficult to take the lead. For sure I would have preferred winning after having fought with the other guys, but it is still an important success, especially in light of what happened this weekend”.