MotoGP news

Pedrosa happy with podium

Repsol Honda rider Dani Pedrosa rode a great race at Honda's home MotoGP event, finishing third place after leading the early stages of a record-breaking Japanese GP.

This was only Pedrosa's second race with his pneumatic-valve RC212V and Bridgestone tyres, and his first race with this new technical package on a dry track. Starting from the second row of the grid, the Spaniard grabbed the lead on the second lap and led for four laps. He slipped to third at quarter distance, maintaining that position to the end, despite coming under pressure from Jorge Lorenzo in the final few laps. Indeed Lorenzo's front tyre tagged the lower exhaust of Pedrosa's RC212V when Lorenzo made an optimistic move at Hairpin Curve on the final lap. Pedrosa managed to stay on board to record his first podium since June's Dutch TT. Today's race was run in cool, cloudy conditions and was watched by 58,000 fans.

"Third place was not so bad today, though of course I tried to be faster," said Rossi. "I have had some difficult races recently and some injuries, so it was a good feeling to be competitive again. I wasn't so fast at the beginning of the race, I expected to be faster. Later on I was able to improve my pace, my times got better lap by lap, so I am happy about that. My pitboard told me that Lorenzo was coming, I got 'plus zero', 'plus zero', 'plus zero'. I expected him to get faster because he was chasing me. On the last lap he touched me but I was able to stay on the bike. My thanks to Honda and to Bridgestone. Also congratulations to Valentino [Rossi, who won today's race to seal his sixth premier-class crown], he rode a great race."

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