Redding considers future after Aprilia exit

Scott Redding admits he is probably out of MotoGP , having lost his Aprilia seat to Andrea Iannone for 2019.

After only six races at the Italian team, Redding heard via social media that Iannone had been signed to join Aleix Espargaro in next year's RS-GP line-up.

"It is what it is. I'm not really disheartened about it. I saw it coming," Redding said at Catalunya on Thursday. "We've been struggling to make a high performance so I knew it was around the corner.

"The problem is they sign you for a year and they already want to sign the next one after two races. You don’t even have a chance to prove yourself.

"You have a one-year deal and if it comes together in the latter half of the season - which is normal when someone changes bikes - they are already judging you. That's what's hard.

"I would like to see some improvements throughout the year, for myself. It's not going to change my future here but at least I can understand myself and help them develop the bike."

Just 22nd in the world championship, the Englishman knew his seat was in doubt, but was not happy with the way he found out about Aprilia's Iannone decision.

"They didn't inform me. Social media informed me," said the double MotoGP podium finisher. "We spoke about it. I was not happy. There was some confusion.

"It's not nice to find out that way because honestly the team is great. I've not had a bad word to say about them at all. But this was a bit like, 'come on, we get along well, we're quite close and I thought you would have told me'.

"I think for them it's also a hard bullet to bite, to tell me, because they feel where I am but they need something to make the result so changing rider maybe can help. "

Redding also thinks Aprilia's fortunes would improve more by changing the bike than the riders.

"In my opinion they need to make a step with the bike. They can put who the f**k they want on it. Okay, maybe it's going to go a bit this way or that way [with a different rider] but it's not going to go to winning races.

"If you put Marquez on the bike, they're not going to win the race.

"So maybe they should have taken a step back. 'Let's keep him for another year, let's see what we can do'. But I didn't have time and maybe they had pressure from other places to get some results."

What comes next for Redding is still unclear.

He had been leaning towards a return to Moto2, but now thinks a switch to WorldSBK would be a better long-term prospect.

"I was really fixed a lot on going to Moto2," said the former 600cc title contender. "That was my mindset immediately when I found out I won't be here, because there's not really going to be a ride for me in MotoGP.

"And to be honest I don’t enjoy to be in MotoGP because I'm never going to get a bike that can really win races. It can make results and if it's my lucky day, mixed conditions, you can do something. But I go racing to win. It's not about money and all the shit around.

"So I was thinking go to Moto2, where it's more level. But I'm 25, if I go to Moto2 and I finish top three in the championship, then what do I do?

"Because no-one is going to take me back in MotoGP because of my past. I've not really set it on fire. I've not had the material to really show. I've been there, but there's already the doubt and they'll take a young guy coming up. Like Suzuki signed Mir and he didn't even do four races in Moto2.

"So I need to maybe look at superbike.

"Again it's difficult, because you need a good bike, and see there. I was definitely fixed on Moto2, but the more I think about it, the more I will hinder myself. If I look short, 'good idea, go try and take the Moto2 title'. But if I look beyond that I've haven't got many options to do something.

"So I should think about superbike and see what to do."

Redding has even been asking fans for their suggestions on what he should do next, via Instagram...