RiderTua.com – Dani Pedrosa will appear at the Jerez GP as a wildcard entry and will ride the third factory KTM RC 16 this weekend. The 38-year-old rider made a sensation at the 2023 Spanish GP when he finished 7th in Sunday’s main race. In the sprint race, the 38 year old rider even finished 6th, only 1.8 seconds behind his teammate Brad Binder.
In a press conference in Jerez, Dani said, “Yes, I was looking forward to practice on Friday. Honestly, I didn’t expect to race here again after last year. But this test made things interesting again, so we decided to race here Again.”
Dani Pedrosa : I was surprised by Acosta’s performance and the problems facing Miller and Binder
Dani Pedrosa added that it was difficult to estimate speed when he was racing alone on the track during the test. But KTM has several parts to try out. This part should be tried in slightly more stressful situations to see if they can overcome the problem. Usually they have a full day during the test to adjust and adapt things. Much more intense with the new format.
Regarding this weekend’s race, Dani revealed, “I think my approach is completely different now. I used to be much more focused and focused on my targets. Now I can open my spectrum more and absorb the atmosphere and enjoy the race here. But that’s also the feeling racing routine.. Back then, it was crazy. It was all about racing.”
As for sensational newcomer Pedro Acosta, Dani says he’s never seen more of them. Needless to say, Acosta achieved two podiums after 3 races. He couldn’t say any more. On TV, his racing style and lines look a little different compared to other riders.
“But we are happy that he performed so well. For a beginner who doesn’t have any knowledge about tyres, clutches and brakes, being at the front is a good thing for us. This also shows that our bike allows good talents to be straight at the front. “Therefore we are happy! The results also came because he is very motivated,” said Dani Pedrosa.
Previously, Dani Pedrosa had said in the media that he would ‘follow’ Acosta. “That’s true, of course! He races very well,” he answered with a laugh.
Are there any plans to follow suit? Dani answered, of course it would be fun to see on TV, but he wouldn’t do it. Normally we should help beginners find their rhythm, but in this case, that wasn’t the case. We’ll have to see if he decides to give me a date. “I was more surprised by Pedro’s result and the problems Jack and Brad faced,” answered the 54-time Grand Prix winner.
Why does KTM seem to be having trouble fighting at the front lately? It’s hard to say, so Dani Pedrosa wants to try a few things. The time and speed record in the MotoGP World Championship is now much faster than in 2023. “We also have to assess it and adjust again. The record has been broken, even though the conditions are not perfect like in Portugal. The race times are faster. Yes, we have a lot to try in here. But we have to do it now in conditions like this,” concluded Dani Pedrosa.
