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In his second season of 125cc competition, Pedrosa won his maiden Grand Prix at the storied Assen TT circuit in 2002. “I woke up that day, and I was in front of a train passing by, and I was like:‘ I have to jump on that train today no matter what. ‘ This is the memory I have, ”recalls Pedrosa of that pivotal afternoon in the Netherlands.
Widely considered one of the best racers never to capture the MotoGP ™ crown, Pedrosa finished runner up no fewer than three times in a career blighted by injury. He ended up no lower than the top four in the title standings over 10 seasons, and in doing so, battled with the very best.
2008 Spanish MotoGP ™ winner Pedrosa with Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo
© Repsol Media Service / Red Bull Content Pool
“As my career progressed, I caught up and was more aware, but that way of racing was not my natural way. When I was racing Casey or Jorge [Lorenzo]it was about who was the fastest, not the trickiest! ”
When I was racing Casey or Jorge, it was about who was the fastest, not the trickiest
Pedrosa’s premier class career pretty much spans the modern era of MotoGP ™, giving him a rare perspective on how modern Grand Prix racing bikes have evolved. Launched in 2002, MotoGP ™ replaced the previous 500cc class with four-stroke engines replacing two-stroke power plants.
“Technology has changed so much in the last few years with the aerodynamics and all the new gadgets the bike has, and we are still waiting for things to even out,” affirmed Pedrosa. “Some manufacturers are more advanced than others, and the rules within the technological possibilities are still open, so we don’t see all factories reaching the best performance with the technical possibilities. I would like to see the technical rules clarified so that you can see the riders compete directly, rather than flying too much on different technologies. ”
With four different winners from the opening seven rounds of the 2022 MotoGP ™ World Championship, the competition is a thrilling spectacle for fans. Rapturous fights for race wins have become the standard every race weekend between works and satellite teams, such as the regular battle between the Ducati Lenovo Team factory and the Pramac Ducati and Gresini Racing Ducati bikes.
On top of this, fans see the emerging personal rivalries looking to write history in the way Pedrosa, Stoner, Rossi and Lorenzo did. How does the man with 112 premier class podiums assess the current crop of riders looking to go from great competitors to true icons of MotoGP ™?
MotoGP ™ rookie Enea Bastianini has been one of the stars of 2022
© Gold & Goose / Red Bull Content Pool
To fully appreciate what is happening with these new guys, we need to let time go by. When the focus is too close it is hard to judge
“To fully appreciate what is happening with these new guys, we need to let time go by. When the focus is too close, it is hard to judge, but for sure, there is a new wave of riders, but we need to wait a little more time to see who is there to stay and to be competing for the top positions. You will see some bad results from everyone as the championship goes on, but right now, the competition is really close, and there are some guys who manage to get points even on a bad day. ”
So, for Pedrosa, it is too early to tell which of the current crop of MotoGP ™ riders will emerge as dominant race winners and championship contenders or which will establish a regular rivalry at the front.
Whilst this uncertainty and variety of winners and podium finishers might be great for the fans, the drama isn’t entirely ideal from a rider’s perspective, according to Pedrosa.
Dani Pedrosa at the 2018 Austrian MotoGP ™
© GEPA pictures / Red Bull Content Pool
“It depends on how you look at it. If you look at things from a championship point of view, it is good because you can have a satellite bike winning, ”said Pedrosa,“ which is great for the sponsors who might not reach an audience like a factory team would. It’s good for the mechanics and the people involved with those non-factory teams – they can win races.
“At the same time, it’s good for the Moto2 ™ guys who come up to MotoGP ™ and don’t immediately have a factory ride because they know they have a chance to win races with their satellite team. From a rider’s perspective, it is not that nice because to have this unpredictable situation is a bit weird. When you prepare for a race, spending all week sleeping well and focusing your mind, and you end up with a poor result, it is sometimes very hard to understand why this is happening. ”
Dani Pedrosa hard at work on Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s KTM RC16
© Philip Platzer / Red Bull Content Pool.jpg
After his retirement at the end of the 2018 season and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing recruitment, Pedrosa starred at the Red Bull Ring in 2021, finishing a superb 10th at the Styrian Grand Prix. As well as that, the Spanish ace has turned his need for speed to four wheels, competing in the 2022 Lamborghini Super Trofeo Europe, and has a great interest in four-wheeled racing and racers with the focus on helping KTM get back to the front of the MotoGP ™ pack.
“Racing cars has been cool, a new experience. I had never done any car racing before, so everything was new. I have learned about everything inside the car, from the rules in the race and outside the race and things like switching drivers. This year I will be racing a few more car races as a wildcard, and testing for KTM and trying to make things happen for the team. ”
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