For years, Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa were bitter rivals on the race track. While Lorenzo was able to win three world titles with Yamaha, Pedrosa never managed to take home the big trophy with Honda.
At the end of 2018, Pedrosa hung up his helmet. Lorenzo took over his place in the Honda team, but after a difficult year he also ended his career. Pedrosa joined KTM and, as a test rider, has a significant influence on development.
Lorenzo is an expert at the Spanish “DAZN” and is impressed by Pedrosa’s wildcard appearance in Misano: “He seems to be two seconds slower than the other drivers. He still drives his style, even if his movements are slower than back at Honda .”
“It looks like he’s two seconds slower, but then when you look at the times he’s one of the fastest. He hardly moves on the bike and is very static. He hardly lets the rear tire slip, it looks like on tracks.”
“His body language on the bike looks very slow, but on the other hand it’s very effective. It’s incredible,” analyzes Lorenzo. Due to his height, Pedrosa cannot force the motorcycle around the corners with strength and effort.
Honda would be better off if…
The motorcycle has to be able to do this technically. That’s why Pedrosa is such a good test driver, because he can give the right feedback for development. This has been shown for years at Honda and now also at KTM.
“He is a very sensitive driver who knows exactly which parts are good and which parts are bad,” Lorenzo is convinced. “He showed that at KTM. And Honda lost a lot with his departure.”
“With all the circumstances over the last four or five years, including Marquez’s injury, I’m sure Honda would be in a better position today if they had Dani as their test rider.”
“To be a good test driver, technique and sensitivity are more important than speed. Marquez may be stronger than Dani, more of a champion or generally faster, but Dani is a very sensitive driver in every detail. In this he is undoubtedly one of the Best.”
Marc Marquez also praised his former teammate’s performance in Misano. However, Pedrosa’s return to Honda is out of the question. He has extended his contract with KTM for another year. It is not yet clear whether there will also be wildcard entries in 2023.