Scott Redding admitted his motivation outweighed financial incentives after deciding to remain with Bonovo for the 2025 WorldSBK season.
Bonovo and BMW parted ways at the end of 2024 before announcing a new manufacturer partnership with Ducati.
Redding is the sole rider for the satellite outfit after former team-mate Garrett Gerloff departed for Kawasaki.
The former British Superbike champion will be back under a V4 Panigale once again after spending two years with the factory team in 2020 and 2021.
“After three years I felt that if I could get back on that bike I would have to use it 100%, and I would have to realise that what I have is really what is best for me,” he said.
“That’s what gave me the motivation to take the risk to stay on this team with a Ducati. Even though I don’t get paid and I have a family to support.
“This is a big return for me. I have to prove that next year I won’t pay to race again.
“I have to get paid, that’s the way things go, but I was in a situation where I could take a bike I thought I could win with, or go somewhere else and then end my career.
“I was on the edge but my manager and my wife and my family pushed me to make that decision.
“I thought: ‘It’s now or never’.
“I want it badly because it’s something that I have to do, and that’s what makes the difference.
“I’ve never been more motivated because I believe that I have the right bike, the right people, the right team and everything that I need to make it.”
Scott Redding admits he needed to ‘hit rock bottom’
The Brit admitted his motivation levels are at their highest for the upcoming WorldSBK season.
Redding realised that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side whilst combatting personal troubles.
“We can say that this is the most motivated Scott Redding of his career,” Redding explained to GPone.
“I happen to think I should’ve had this mentality even three or five years ago but, when I moved to BSB, I was coming from a dark period.
“It was a difficult championship and I enjoyed it. When I came to [World] Superbike I told myself I had to be more professional.
“But I was coming here as a champion and I was motivated to win, especially on tracks that I’d never been to. That was my goal.
“The second year I was more at ease but my focus was different.
“I probably needed to hit rock bottom to see how good what I had was.
“I had a great package and the bike and the team were great. But you always feel like there’s something better.”
The 32-year-old previously finished second and third overall with Ducati in 2020 and 2021, after replacing Alvaro Bautista in 2020 and later being replaced by him.