Dani Pedrosa, the three-time MotoGP championship runner-up, will make a surprise return to racing for KTM at this year’s Spanish Grand Prix, in only his second wildcard appearance since joining the Austrian firm as its test rider in 2019.
The news was announced by team manager Francesco Guidotti during KTM’s 2023 season launch, where he revealed that he had just been informed that Pedrosa’s wildcard appearance for Jerez had been accepted by the organizers, clearing the way for his 219th MotoGP race start.
“It shows how important he is for us,” said Guidotti. “The contribution he can give us is quite high, and we are trying to put him in the position to express his potential during the test and of course also during the wildcard.”
Pedrosa was originally scheduled to appear as a wildcard for the team in 2020, but all guest appearances were suspended for the entire season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He then returned to action at the 2021 Styrian Grand Prix at KTM’s home venue the Red Bull Ring for a brief and somewhat abortive appearance.
The Crash
He crashed at Turn 3 on the opening lap of the race, high-siding on the exit of the corner and leaving his bike in the middle of the track and in the path of Aprilia rider Lorenzo Savadori, who struck it, bringing out the red flags when his Aprilia subsequently burst into flames.
Despite the crash, Pedrosa was able to restart on his second bike and finish in an impressive 10th place, the second of KTM’s five machines. He expressed his satisfaction with his performance and enjoyed the weekend overall.
He also believed that if he had gone faster in FP3, he could have qualified for Q2 and been in a better position for the race. He also stated that he does not think there is much room for improvement before the next wildcard race.
He was also originally set to reappear a few weeks later for the San Marino Grand Prix at Misano, but that wildcard was then withdrawn following the Red Bull Ring crash, with the team admitting that the risk of injury, as highlighted in Austria, was too high for Pedrosa at a crucial time in the development of the 2022 bike.
What does KTM say?
“Dani is basically not in our planning for Misano, we took it off [the plan],” said KTM motorsport boss Pit Beirer at the time. “He had that one race in Spielberg and I don’t think we’re going to see him racing again. So, we just stopped it there.”
However, after a disappointing 2022 season, and with significant changes to its rider lineup following the departures of Miguel Oliveira, Remy Gardner, and Raul Fernandez, KTM has clearly decided it’s the right time to get input from its ultra-experienced test rider in a racing scenario again.
Pedrosa, who retired from full-time racing in 2018, is one of the most successful riders in MotoGP history. He won 31 races and achieved 112 podiums, earning him the nickname “The Samurai”. He is also one of the most experienced riders on the grid, having competed in 218 races, more than any other active rider.
The Spanish Grand Prix, which will take place at Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto, is scheduled for June 4th -6th. It is the fourth round of the 2023 MotoGP World Championship and it is expected to be a highly competitive race, with all the teams and riders looking to take the win
