Interview with Dani Pedrosa after the presentation
Spanish rider Dani Pedrosa made it very clear in an interview: his goal this year is to fight for the title.
The goal this year is to fight for the title.
With the start of the Motorcycle World Championship approaching, the young rider has set a clear target for the 2008 season, although his first wish is to make a full recovery from the injury he suffered during one of the pre-season tests.
The Repsol Honda Team rider faces his third season in the premier class, a season with more experience, strength and determination, although it will be very difficult to swap the new number 2 on his fairing for the number 1. He will surely try with all his effort and energy.
Below are the questions asked during the interview a few hours before the start of the Official Jerez Test:
Mandatory question… How is your right hand injury doing?
“The truth is it could be better or worse. The operation went well and everything is going as expected, or I’d even say faster. But that doesn’t change the fact that we have eight weeks to get me fully well. They have just removed the stitches and I’ve started rehabilitation, but obviously I still find it very hard to move the hand; I have some tension in that whole area. Dr. Mir says it’s normal and that I need to be a bit patient.”
Some time has passed now, are you clear yet about what happened that made you fall twice that same day in Malaysia, both times when the front tyre lost grip?
“Not yet, because I’m waiting for Honda to explain to me what analysis they have done of all that. It seems there are certain differences in the chassis, which Hayden was also able to confirm. But to be honest, I don’t know exactly what happened. I know I lost the front wheel, and I know that in November at Jerez I didn’t have the same feeling; back then it was much better. Now we just have to wait and see when I can get back on the bike and whether I recover some of the sensation I had in November.”
Are you worried about arriving at Jerez with a lot of work still to do? Could your forced break from the important tests in Malaysia and Australia affect the 2008 season?
“It’s obvious we are significantly behind, we won’t deny it. But thinking about that now doesn’t get us anywhere. I’ll go to Jerez and the first thing, before trying to go fast, will be to see whether I can ride the bike, which is what worries me most. Once I’ve done that I’ll see how I am and how far I can go.”
Third season with Repsol Honda Team, with your trusted people around you. A year to finally fight for the title?
“Every year is a good one to fight for the title, but it’s not always possible. Obviously, the goal this year is to fight for the title and try to do it as well as we can. The fact that we’ve had this setback is a hitch, but it doesn’t divert us from the goal, which is to try to fight for the championship.”
Everyone talks about Stoner, Rossi and Pedrosa as the main contenders for the title, that is, a Ducati rider, a Yamaha rider and a Honda rider…. Do you think there could be a “hidden” one like Stoner last year? What do you think of there being three riders from three different brands as the main favourites?
“I don’t know, to be honest, who will or won’t be there. What matters to me is being well, recovering fully; that my bike works better than last year, that what I asked for is given to me, and if that’s in place, then I’ll sort myself out. The fact that there are three brands I think is good. The more brands the better. It means the championship is strong and interesting, and that’s good for everyone.”
Source | Repsol
