MotoGP: The quiet, remarkable career of Dani Pedrosa

By Kevin Nguyen | Jun 11, 2018

LE MANS, FRANCE - MAY 18: Dani Pedrosa of Spain and Repsol Honda Team heads down a straight during the MotoGp of France - Free Practice on May 18, 2018 in Le Mans, France. (Photo by Mirco Lazzari gp/Getty Images) /

After 13 years with Honda in MotoGP, Dani Pedrosa will need to look for a ride elsewhere in 2019. His tenure at Honda was nothing short of amazing, though.

The end of an era has come for Dani Pedrosa. After 13 years with Repsol Honda, the factory Honda team, the Spaniard will look for another MotoGP ride in 2019. While Honda agreed to terms with outgoing Ducati rider Jorge Lorenzo, Pedrosa’s outlook in the premier class is still rosy with both satellite Ducati teams and the satellite Honda team still yet to confirm their lineups. The factory Suzuki team are yet to set their line-up for 2019 as well.

Pedrosa, 32, knows how to win and is fast enough to win, but when the MotoGP grid includes the likes of Valentino Rossi, Lorenzo, and his Honda teammate Marc Marquez, winning the championship is harder than it sounds, as evidenced by Pedrosa’s three runner-up seasons in 2007, 2010 and 2012. In the latter two seasons, he was beaten by his eventual replacement.

A factory ride with Suzuki isn’t out of the question, but to stay on a top-flight Japanese bike, the Spaniard will need to improve his form. Currently, Pedrosa sits 12th in the championship standings and has retired in half of the races that have been contested so far this season.

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At his age, Pedrosa has seen hotshot teammates win and rivals elevated above him on their way to motorcycle racing glory. At one time, the career Honda rider was thought to have been a can’t-miss future MotoGP champion after winning back-to-back-to-back championships in the 125cc and 250cc classes from the 2003 season to the 2005 season.

However, once the Spaniard got to the premier class, he’s played second string to teammates and rivals, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Pedrosa may or may not win a MotoGP title before he retires, but in sports, sometimes that’s how it is. In racing, a championship isn’t necessarily the defining mark of a great driver/rider. Case in point, Sterling Moss.

Pedrosa may be the MotoGP equivalent of former Formula 1 drivers Rubens Barrichello or Felipe Massa. They are outstanding drivers, but due to certain circumstances, they won races and fans but never championships.

Pedrosa is the same way. He may not win a MotoGP title, but his 31 wins, 31 pole positions and 44 fast laps make him a remarkable rider and few others in the MotoGP paddock can claim the longevity of Pedrosa’s career with one team. If Honda didn’t see something special in Pedrosa, they wouldn’t have strung him along for 13 years. That has to count for something.

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Pedrosa may be the best rider to never win a title, and ultimately that’s fine. Why would there be a need for a series trophy to show that he is the best when he is already beloved?