MotoGP, Dani Pedrosa undermines the Honda myth: “during the years I was at Honda they did not succeed in any of their projects”

When we talk about Honda in MotoGP, the phrase that comes up the most is that of “ we are Honda », as if its evocation were a miracle recipe or a magic formula guaranteeing a bright tomorrow. However, at HRC, we have been incubating chicken eggs for a while in the hope of seeing swans hatch. And this dates even before Marc Marquez declined since his fall at Jerez in 2020. Dani Pedrosa reveals this aspect, maintaining this growing feeling that Honda owes everything first to the recruitment of a phenomenal driver, rather than to his technical skills alone.

And moreover, this idea takes shape by referring to the fact that Honda struggled to get back to winning ways after the departure of Valentino Rossi who had continued the beautiful series initiated by the generation of Mick doohan. To ensure succession, there was Dani Pedrosa who did what he could, and who could have succeeded in maintaining the illusion if he had been less unlucky. The one who has never been titled in a MotoGP that he nevertheless enlightened sufficiently with his talent to officially become a Legend of the Grands Prix says thus on DAZN : " When I joined Honda MotoGP they were going through a bad period. Rossi was gone and they weren't winning anymore. They couldn't find their way ».

A situation which is strangely reminiscent of another, this time with a reference point Marc Marquez wounded and diminished... But the one who served the winged coat of arms for 13 years continues: “ it was clear to me, I was never afraid, I was always very happy and motivated to attack the work ».

Then the test pilot KTM de 37 years confides: “ during the years I was at Honda, especially in the early years when there was a war between Michelin and Bridgestone, they did not succeed in any of their projects. Particularly in 2007 and 2008 we were the only ones with a conventional valvetrain engine while the others already had pneumatic valves and after the first year of Bridgestone we didn't even have any success with the bike. It was very difficult three or four years in a row, but I always found a way to work with them and understood them well ».

In 2009, Ducati chased Honda rider Dani Pedrosa, but not only

Car Dani Pedrosa is a faithful man: “ my heart always wanted to race with Honda » he recalls, so much so that in 2009, he refused an offer that no one would rule out in 2022… “ Ducati contacted me and, in reality, the offer surprised me because I had no intention of changing and therefore I had to think about it, but it was not in my plans ».

By the way, Ducati had only contacted him at that time. Jorge Lorenzo was thus also in the loop: “ in 2009, I was about to sign for both Honda and Ducati, the closest being Ducati, because Stoner started having health problems and had not finished races well » reveals the Majorcan. “ My former manager Marcos and I met with Livio Suppo and made a list of the positives and negatives of staying with Yamaha or moving to Ducati, which was a higher bid from an economic point of view ».

We know the rest: “ I did well to stay with Yamaha because ultimately this bike was quite difficult, and the following year I started to win my first title with Yamaha and everything went well ". And we also know the rest of this sequel…