'Nailed it' - Redding gets helmet down as fun factor returns

Forget knees and elbows, Scott Redding used what could be his final MotoGP appearance at the tight and twisty Sachsenring to tick off one of his remaining goals… to drag his helmet on the asphalt through a corner!

The Englishman briefly achieved the feat on an Open class Honda in 2014, but made it happen on his factory Aprilia in Germany during Sunday morning warm-up.

"I nailed it!" he grinned.

"[I've been planning it] a long time! I did it in Valencia, but it was only a little touch. That was on a soft tyre with a small bike, so that was cheating.

"So I thought, f**k this, I need to do it before I leave the paddock this year, I need to get it down.

"I've been trying to do it all weekend and I'm like, 'COME ON!' 

"I said to the photographer, 'get in that corner, because it's happening'.

"I went in, and I leant more, and I thought, 'f**king hell, where is it?!' Then 'krrcchhh'.

"There it is. Nailed it! Mission accomplished this morning."

Redding went on to finish 15th in the race, despite the exhaust of his RS-GP burning his ankle.

"I had the same in Texas, but with the long straight, it's normal. I didn't expect it here. After eight [of 30] laps, I could feel it burning and I was thinking, 'OK, whatever, burn me, I don't care'.

"The race was OK. I made a really good start. I used the hard front and needed a few laps to get some grip on it, but then I managed to settle. I was staying with Tito and a lot faster in some areas and he was having a bit more drive in other areas.

"It was similar to Barcelona when I was with Pol: I could stay there, but I can never really go for an attack. So that was it, and then I was trying to save my tyre, because I knew it was going to drop,  but it just wasn't enough.

"With 6 laps to go, and especially the last 3-4 laps it just went out the door. I couldn't do anything. It was like there was no tyre on the rim."

But despite the ankle pain and tyre woes, with the pressure to keep his ride now gone, Redding – who is weighing up a switch to World Superbike alongside Aprilia test riding duties - is enjoying himself once again.

"I'm having a whale of a time," he smiled. "I'm actually really enjoying coming to the races.

"Really built a lot with the team, because I'm much more relaxed, they then become more relaxed.

"I can be myself, I joke around and I found myself again.

"Also with the riding, I found a bit more motivation inside me, because I'm enjoying it. I want to be here. In Mugello I didn't want it.

"Don't misunderstand me, we're still working, because we come here to do a job, so I need to say, 'this is better' or 'that is better'.

"So it's just playing around and trying to improve, but without the stress of 'I want this' or 'I want that'.

"F**k, just leave it, it doesn't matter. The bike is OK, it's just the tyre drops. And that's how it will be for me for the rest of the season.

"I'm enjoying going out there. It's not like I have to do it, it's because I want to do it."

Redding added: "There's no pressure now. So if I'm first or if I'm last, I don't care.

"If I finish last every session, what are they going to do? If they want to fire me, fine, I'm already not here next year.

"But that's not my case, I do it for me now, for enjoyment.

"I had two umbrella girls on the grid, that's the style, old school, that's how it should be.

"Everyone's having a laugh in the hospitality. It's so much nicer to be here.

"On the other side, it's coming to the end of a MotoGP career for me at this stage.

"But I've been here ten years, so if this is the last year, I need to enjoy it.

"That's what we're doing."

Team-mate Aleix Espargaro missed the race after being injured in warm-up.

Andrea Iannone will replace Redding at Aprilia next year.