Scott Redding back in the groove with record pace at Misano

Scott Redding showed no ill-effects from the prolonged break between rounds as he powered to record-breaking lap times during this week’s refresher test at Misano featuring Ducati and Kawasaki.

Having impressed with a trio of podiums on his WorldSBK debut in Australia back in February, Redding – like the rest of the motorsport world – has been counting down the days until he can get back on the bike following the lengthy global lockdown.

Though WorldSBK will need to wait two weeks longer than its MotoGP counterparts before returning to racing, also at Jerez on 31 July – 2 August, Ducati and Kawasaki were back on track in Italy this week for a two-day test.

Sampling the resurfaced circuit for the first time, Redding stopped the unofficial stopwatch at 1m 33.067s, which was below official Tom Sykes’ record-breaking qualifying from 2018 on the Kawasaki.

"These were three very positive days as it was important to regain the feeling with the bike,” the former MotoGP rider said. “We have worked a lot especially with used tyres and we have tried new solutions that have given positive feedback. I've been working out a lot these months with the goal of losing weight. In the end, I also managed to set a good chrono but this is not important. It was great to get back to work with the guys and I can't wait to get back on track".

On the other side of the Aruba.it Ducati garage, Chaz Davies returned to action as he fights for his place in the team for 2021. Though the biggest threat of Danilo Petrucci has subsided with the news he will remain in MotoGP with KTM for next season, Davies will need to improve his performances over his Phillip Island showing during the upcoming short, sharp run to the end of the year.

“It was nice to get back out there and see a lot of familiar faces. It has been a long four months and there was a great desire to reconnect with the bike and the track. We worked a lot to try many solutions and get some important feedback. We have improved in some areas and we have to improve in other aspects but the direction is the right one.”

Compared to most series’, WorldSBK could still complete the vast majority of its races in 2020, helped in part by holding three races over a weekend. 

As it stands, nine rounds – including the already completed Phillip Island opener – have been rescheduled, but Assen, Donington Park and Qatar remain TBA rather than cancelled altogether. 

Even with nine events in total, WorldSBK stands to run 27 races in 2020.