British passport used “as an excuse” for lack of MotoGP backing, says Scott Redding

Scott Redding is one of the few riders who regularly challenged nine-time world champion Marc Marquez during their rise to MotoGP. That on-track competition was at odds with the amount of backing behind each rider, with Redding believing it is this that’s hurting Britain's hopes of finding the next MotoGP star. 

The former MotoGP and WorldSBK rider, who is now competing in the British Superbike Championship with the Hager PBM Racing Team, revealed why British riders are still finding it difficult to make a breakthrough in Grand Prix racing during a recent interview on the Scruff Bags podcast.

Redding was faced with challenges that he still believes are problems as of 2026, one of which is that some nationalities are backed more consistently. 

For instance, Marquez was backed by both Red Bull and Repsol very early on in his career, which are two of the biggest companies that have ever been associated with MotoGP. But Redding, who was coming through the 125cc and 250cc ranks at the same time as Marquez, and was considered one of the most talented young riders outside of his former rival at that time, never got the same opportunities, according to the British racer. 

During the interview, Redding was asked about his nationality potentially being the reason for not receiving the same chances, to which he said:  

“That was always a thing that was spoken about, and it plays a part. But the biggest part is the money and funding that Marc Marquez got and Scott Redding didn’t. I was riding [for] a third tier team (125cc class in 2008) winning a British Grand Prix, [while] Marc Marquez was riding a Repsol KTM at the time, which was the factory team. That was the start, [and] he was backed by Repsol, and when he went to Moto2, he had his own team and crew that all went to MotoGP with him. That was the difference, he had a lot of funding behind him.” 

Redding also went on to add that the British passport is used as more of an excuse by people, as the deeper issue is that British riders aren’t supported enough by companies that could help fund their careers. 

Redding went on to say: 

“I don’t think the British passport is all of it. I think the passport is the name people give it as an excuse as to why we don’t do more for our riders. Why don’t we have big British companies saying ‘we have one of the best British riders in the world, [who] has won a British Grand Prix, [and] the future is massive, so let’s go get him on that factory Red Bull bike.” 

The UK has not had a premier class champion in Grand Prix racing since Barry Sheene won the 500cc title in 1977, while Cal Crutchlow is the last British rider to compete full-time in MotoGP, after he retired at the end of the 2020 season.

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