MotoGP Gossip: Aprilia experience made Scott Redding ‘hate racing’

- Scott Redding has shed further light on the difficulties he faced during his final season of MotoGP with Aprilia Racing, saying the negative experience made him ‘hate racing, hate bikes’. The Briton joined the factory team for the 2018 MotoGP season but struggled with uncompetitive and unreliable machinery, culminating in him branding the RS-GP a ‘piece of shit’, an outburst that earned a rebuke from the company. Discussing the difficult campaign with fellow WorldSBK rider Jonathan Rea, Redding says he had ‘never experienced anything that bad in my life’. (WorldSBK via Visordown)

- Fausto Gresini says his eponymous team will remain on the MotoGP grid beyond 2021 regardless of whether it parts ways with Aprilia Racing. The stalwart Italian outfit became Aprilia’s factory supported entry into MotoGP in 2015 but the Italian marque has intimated it will take its works effort in-house from 2022, with Gresini potentially becoming the manufacturer’s official satellite team. Either way, Gresini says the team – founded in 1997 – will continue in the top-flight whether continues its relationship with Aprilia (Motosprint)

- Jonathan Rea says he would love to see Marc Marquez perform a WorldSBK wildcard at one stage aboard the new factory Honda in order to pitch himself against ‘one of the strongest riders in the world’. He said: “it would be interesting to see him on track against us with the new Honda CBR1000RR-R, maybe on a track like Barcelona”. (GPOne)

- Jorge Martin says he has been ‘flattered’ by growing speculation that he is in with a shout of moving up to MotoGP in 2021 with the Pramac Ducati team. Speaking to the MotoGP Spanish Podcast, he said it shows he is ‘doing something right’ even if his desire remains to stay within the KTM fold. (MotoGP)

- Motorsport continues to its slow return to normality as the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya opened up its gates for a private test session this week, with participants including Suzuki rider Alex Rins on a GSX-R1000R superbike, Petronas Sprinta Moto2 rider Xavi Vierge and 2018 WorldSSP 300 champion Ana Carrasco.

Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya hosted today for the first time in 68 days a private test session.#MotoGP and #WorldSBK riders @AnaCarrasco_22, @gabrirodrigo2 and @XaviVierge had been training in Circuit facilities and with several safety protocols. pic.twitter.com/qINyKS0xzL

— Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya (@Circuitcat_eng) May 21, 2020