QUEDGELEY’S Scott Redding, can count on massive support this weekend, as he heads home for the British Grand Prix at Silverstone.

Redding has endured a difficult first season aboard the factory Honda RC213V, but the 22-year-old remains a firm favourite with his home crowd and he heads to Silverstone determined to reward them for their support with a strong showing in Sunday’s 20-lap British Grand Prix.

Redding’s best result do far this season was a seventh place in the Grand Prix of Catalunya, a result he is keen to improve upon this weekend in Silverstone, aided by the extra motivation such strong home support brings with it.

The Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS rider has won at the British Grand Prix in two classes previously. His victory in the 125cc race at Donington Park, aged just 15 years and 170 days, saw him enter the record books as the youngest Grand Prix winner of all time, a record he still holds. Redding also took victory in the Moto2 race at Silverstone in 2013 on his way to finishing second in the World Championship.

Silverstone was the home of the British Grand Prix for 10 years before the race was moved to Donington Park in 1987. In 2010 MotoGP returned to the former airfield in Northamptonshire, racing for the first time on a revised circuit layout that has produced some epic battles in all three Grand Prix classes.

Redding said: “Silverstone is a special race. I like the track, I’ve won there in the past in Moto2 and the support of the British fans is always incredible.

"This year we arrive in Great Britain off the back of a few difficult races and not really knowing what to expect. It could be that the bike works well, like at Austin and Sachsenring, but we could just as easily find ourselves in the same situation as Brno, where we had to work hard to find a good setting.

"Either way my goal is to try and secure my best result of the season so far at Silverstone. My motivation is still strong, and the support of the home crowd only adds to that, so I hope we can pull everything together and put in a strong performance this weekend.”

Team principal Michael Bartholemy added: “While many riders feel under pressure at their home race Scott is the exact opposite. He doesn’t hide away in his motorhome but, instead, likes to get out and meet the fans in the paddock.

"Their support is important to him and, as we’ve seen in the past at Silverstone, it motivates him to push that little bit harder, to ride just a little bit more over the limit in an effort to reward them for their support. It’s been a difficult season so far, but if there is going to be a turning point then Silverstone is it.

"I’m confident that Scott will give his all this weekend and I hope he can give his home crowd something to cheer for in the race.”