Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team) had a tough start to the season – despite some podium finishes – until a turnaround began after data gathered in the post-Brno test gave the ‘Baby Samurai’ a direction to follow for the rest of the season. That direction saw Pedrosa then sweep through at Misano World Circuit from eighth on the grid to take a stunning first win of the year, and make history as the eighth different winner in a row. With tracks on the horizon on which the Repsol Honda rider’s record stands out as the best – such as Motegi and Sepang – a huge highside during Friday practice in Japan then saw Pedrosa break his collarbone and sit out the triple-header flyaway races.
Although not fully recovered, the Sabadell native will be back on track for the season finale in Valencia – having quashed retirement rumours – and will be looking to add another great result to his record at the venue. Pedrosa is currently the most successful rider at the track with six previous wins – three in MotoGP™, two in 250, and one in the 125 World Championship.
Recently, some journalists wrote that they heard rumors about me retiring. These news are groundless and I can’t wait to be back on track!
— Dani Pedrosa (@26_DaniPedrosa) 28 October 2016
Dani Pedrosa: “These past three weeks haven’t been easy because of the pain, especially immediately after the operation, and also because I missed racing at some of my favourite tracks. Anyway, after I started with my rehab, things began getting better day-by-day, and the thought of trying to recover in time for Valencia was a boost that helped during the tougher moments. We’re still not sure about how I’ll feel on the bike, but anyway I’m happy to be able to get back to racing! I love the Valencia track, I have fantastic memories here and I like the idea of getting back to action in front of my fans.”