Scott Redding gave the home crowd something to cheer, snatching second place in the morning’s Moto2 race at Silverstone following a gripping battle with new championship leader Marc Marquez.
The Coventry rider had qualified third and early on was involved in a tussle for the lead with fellow Briton Bradley Smith. He subsequently dropped down the field, but worked his way back into the reckoning and began his duel with Marquez.
The pair swapped places twice on the final lap, with Redding making the crucial move into Vale after an error from Marquez before holding him off as they crossed the finish line just .059 seconds apart.
Redding, who won the 125cc race at the same venue two years ago, was visibly delighted with the result, saying: “I kind of wanted it bad from the beginning of the weekend.
“I had to make a move earlier in the lap to try and stay ahead of him. He came past and I thought ‘this is going to be tight’, and I wanted it for the crowd.
“He had a little moment, but I was just on the edge of the grass. I tried to hold a tight line, but when you are pushing as well it’s hard.
“I saw him coming and I could feel the wheel there, and I thought I just had to try it. I picked up a bit, we came together and luckily we both made it past the finish line. It was a good race.”
Spain’s Pol Espargaro claimed the victory, but compatriot Marquez now goes six points clear of him at the top of the rider’s standings. Redding is fifth, while Smith’s seventh place means he sits eighth in the championship.
