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Rider Profiles

Name: Dani Pedrosa

Series: MotoGP

Team: Repsol Honda

 
Rider : Dani Pedrosa -Spain

Team : Repsol Honda
Racing number : 26
Race machine : RC212V

Date of birth : September 29, 1985.
Birthplace : Castellar del Valles - Spain
Height : 1.59 m.
Weight : 52 kg.
Hobbies : Music, Internet.

First race : 1997 Pocket bike racing.

Grand Prix debut : 2001. 125cc Japanese Grand Prix, Suzuka – Honda RS125R.
First Grand Prix win : 2002.125cc Dutch Grand Prix, Assen – Honda RS125R.

Total Grand Prix wins : 25. 8 x 125cc – Honda RS125R. 15 x 250cc – Honda RS250RW.
2 x MotoGP – Honda RC211V.

Total podium places : 49. 17 x 125cc – Honda RS125R. 24 x 250cc – Honda RS250R-W.
8 x MotoGP Honda RC211V.

World titles : 3. 1 x 125cc, 2003 - Honda RS125R. 2 x 250cc in 2004 and 2005 – Honda RS250R-W.

Dani Pedrosa

Entering his second season in MotoGP, Dani Pedrosa is surely one of the favourites to take the 2007 title. The outrageously talented young Spaniard was already a three-time World Champion in the smaller classes when he entered the top flight at the tender age of 20 and, with the new reduced-capacity 800cc machines expected to better-suit his compact build, another title is now a distinct possibility.

Few riders have experienced a more dramatic debut season than Dani did in 2006. He startled the MotoGP paddock by scoring an amazing second place at the opening race and went on to score two race wins, four pole positions and finish the year a mere 37 points behind Champion and team-mate Nicky Hayden. At the penultimate round in Portugal Dani was one of five riders still in with a mathematical chance of the taking the World Championship.

Of course no one can forget what happened during that dramatic race as Pedrosa fell taking team-mate Nicky Hayden down with him and handing the championship lead to Valentino Rossi in the process. Fiercely criticised in the press and distraught at his mistake, Pedrosa displayed both his immense speed and true character at the final round at Valencia by allowing Hayden to pass and then dropping back to protect his team-mate from attacks from behind, thus helping Hayden to clinch the title.

By this stage Pedrosa had already wrapped up the coveted Rookie of the Year title (an accolade he also achieved in the 125cc and 250cc classes) by a huge margin from talented riders such as Casey Stoner and Chris Vermeulen.

Pedrosa’s rise to the top has been as swift and clinical as that of Valentino Rossi. He took the 125cc crown in 2003 and back-to-back 250 titles in 2004 and 2005, becoming the youngest ever 250cc champion. Having begun his racing career on minibikes in the Spanish minibike championship at the age of 10 he took that title in 1998. Since then Dani’s talent has blossomed under the guidance of former 500cc Grand Prix winner Alberto Puig, who Dani now rates as one of his closest friends.

Never one to clown around for the TV cameras and preferring to keep his flamboyance to riding the motorcycle, some casual observers have criticised Pedrosa’s steely outward persona. But behind the race face lies a talent and intelligence that make the diminutive Spaniard one of the biggest threats for the 2007 MotoGP World Championship.

Career highlights - Dani Pedrosa

1997 : 3rd Spanish Championship Pocket Bikes
1998 : Spanish Pocket Bike Champion
1999 : 8th MoviStar Activa Joven Honda Cup
2000 : 4th 125cc Spanish Championship Honda
2001 : 8th 125cc World Championship Honda
2002 : 3rd 125cc World Championship Honda - race wins 3
2003 : 125c World Champion Honda - race wins 5
2004 : 250cc World Champion Honda – race wins 7
2005 : 250cc World Champion Honda – race wins 8.
2006 : 5th MotoGP World Championship – race wins 2.
 

Info supplied by Repsol Honda