Pramac Ducati rider Scott Redding described Sunday’s German Grand Prix the “worst race of my career” amid uncertainty about his MotoGP future.
Redding started 23rd of of 24 riders and made little progress in the Sachsenring race, ending up a full minute behind race winner Marc Marquez and only narrowly fending off Alex Rins to avoid finishing last.
The British rider’s 20th place finish is his worst since he joined the premier class in 2014.
“Awful, if I’m honest,” Redding told BT Sport when asked about his race.
“[I had] No feeling again.
“This morning [in warm-up] I felt quite good, quite comfortable, into the race I pushed forward a bit in the first couple of laps.
“But I didn’t find any grip in the tyre, just struggled all the way through the race.
“It’s the worst race of my career.
“I don’t know where to go from here, [I’m] just disappointed in myself and the bike.”
Redding, who is riding a year-old GP16 Ducati, is 13th in the championship ahead of the summer break.
He started the season with a pair of top 10 finishes in Qatar and Argentina but has failed to register another since then and has been overshadowed by team-mate Danilo Petrucci – who has scored two podium finishes on his 2017-spec bike.
“I don’t know really what to change,” added Redding.
“We could come to the next race, maybe it’s better, maybe it’s worse.
“That’s the problem we have, there’s no real consistency.
“I’m frustrated because I expected more this year but it just seems to be getting worse for me for some reason.
“I find it quite hard to keep fighting [to reach] where I think I should be, but never achieving it.
“It just gets harder, it’s hard to keep picking yourself up when you keep doing it. I’ve been doing it for a few years now and it starts to wear you out.”
While Petrucci signed a fresh deal to remain at Pramac next season over the Sachsenring weekend, there is speculation about Redding’s place at the squad for 2018, with current Marc VDS Honda pair Jack Miller and Tito Rabat both linked to his seat.
Asked about his future, Redding said his current performances were not helping his chances of being retained.
“I wouldn’t say I’m worried, because if it’s the end, it’s the end,” he said.
“But my performances aren’t helping me at all.”