Jorge Lorenzo, a former MotoGP rider, has criticized Honda for not retaining Dani Pedrosa as a test rider, suggesting that this decision played a significant role in the manufacturer’s recent struggles in the championship.
The challenges faced by Honda in MotoGP became more pronounced after the injury to their star rider, Marc Márquez. However, Lorenzo believes that the absence of Pedrosa as a test rider for the Japanese giant is also a key factor in their decline. He emphasized that Pedrosa’s technical expertise and sensitivity on the bike would have been invaluable to Honda, especially during such trying times.
Lorenzo, who concluded his MotoGP career with Honda at the end of 2019, expressed his views on the matter during an interview with DAZN. He stated, “In the same circumstances that Honda faced in the last four or five years, including Márquez’s injury, I am sure they would have performed infinitely better if they had Dani as a test rider.”
Lorenzo holds Pedrosa in high regard, praising his exceptional skills and achievements on the track. Despite Pedrosa’s smaller stature, he managed to secure numerous victories in MotoGP, a feat that Lorenzo finds remarkable. He said, “The merits he has throughout his career are enormous. I’ve never seen such a small rider achieve so many wins in MotoGP. It’s unprecedented, showcasing the technique he had to develop to achieve this.”
The real winner in this scenario, according to Lorenzo, is KTM. The Austrian manufacturer was astute in securing Pedrosa’s services, and his contributions have been evident in their steady progress over the years. Lorenzo believes that Pedrosa’s technical acumen and keen sense of the bike have been instrumental in KTM’s growth. He elaborated, “On a technical level and in terms of sensations, Pedrosa is a super-sensitive rider who greatly helps in understanding which components are right and which ones are wrong. He proved this at KTM, and Honda lost a lot when he left.”
In essence, Lorenzo’s comments underline the importance of experienced test riders in the development and refinement of MotoGP machines. Pedrosa’s departure from Honda and his subsequent success with KTM serve as a testament to his value and the potential missed opportunity for Honda.