Scott Redding didn’t take kindly to Álvaro Bautista’s comments regarding the incident that involved both of them in WSBK race 1 in Portimão last weekend, considering that, after viewing the footage via his opponent, he should have seen him and could have avoided the crash.

The MGM BONOVO Racing rider thus responded directly to Bautista’s accusations, who suggested that the Briton had crashed into him, instead looking at what happened as a normal racing incident: 'I heard that he said I took him out of the race, which is strange because I don’t feel that’s what happened'.

He continued: 'I wasn’t upset after the crash, nor did I feel that it was me who knocked him out or that he knocked me out. It was a racing incident and I want to understand better what happened. From his onboard camera, the only thing I can say is that he should have seen me. At Turn 3, I was in front. If we came out of Turn 3 into Turn 4 and he was looking, he would have had to see me on the left. He was behind me. What was I supposed to do? Look to the right and then follow?' he asked.

The Briton recognised that the relationship between the two is not the best, but assured that he has no intention of causing accidents:

– We don’t have the best of relationships, but I don’t plan to take anyone out of the race, and I’m sure the same applies to him. I can’t even apologise because I didn’t do anything. For me, it was something very strange. I’d like to check with Race Direction if there’s another camera of the incident, but from his onboard, I was ahead until Turn 4. It was bad luck for both of us.

With this collision marking the first major direct confrontation between the two riders this season, it remains to be seen whether this rivalry will continue to simmer in the coming rounds of the World Superbike Championship.