With his career-saving arm pump surgery behind him, Dani Pedrosa is a new rider and is influencing the title battle between Yamaha’s riders.
For a while it seemed like Honda would not be a factor in the MotoGP title battle at all this year. Yamaha’s Valentino Rossi has held the championship lead since the first race of the year with the gap to Lorenzo yo-yoing as the Spaniard makes a bid to overcome the Italian’s charge towards his eighth title. Not to mention issues like dislodged helmet padding, fogged up visor and even the odd excuse that has not exactly endeared Lorenzo to fans who are almost entirely behind Rossi.
However, a new factor has been thrown into the mix. Honda’s Dani Pedrosa is no longer encumbered by a career-threatening injury to his right arm. Add to that Honda reverting to their 2014 chassis has meant that Pedrosa has started taking points off both Yamaha riders. At Aragon he nipped past Rossi to take second place behind Lorenzo. The result meant that Rossi and Lorenzo went into the Japanese round at Motegi separated by just nine points.
In wet conditions, Lorenzo stormed into the lead and looked set to take a commanding win. But fate had other plans. As the track continued to dry, Lorenzo’s lead evaporated about as quickly as the water on the track on account of the Spaniard using his tyres to open up a gap to Rossi.
Not only did he end up losing a place to Rossi, Pedrosa – who had been looking conservative in third place – ended up passing them both to take his first win since last year’s Czech Republic Grand Prix.
Lorenzo’s statements of woe, lamenting the drying track, did him no favours with MotoGP fans who are aching to see Rossi crowned world champion again.
The hate almost detracted from the appreciation heaped on Pedrosa and the way in which he has bounced back, not just from poor health, but also at being relegated to something of an also-ran at Honda. The attention has been squarely on wunderkind Marc Marquez and with good reason, although people forget that Pedrosa too has been a title contender with Honda and loyal. Be it partnering Casey Stoner or Marquez, Honda has always been able to count on the Spaniard.
And now it seems that Rossi can count on him, and Marquez too to take points off Lorenzo with the season winding to a close.
For his part, Rossi has been riding with the consistency that one normally associates with Lorenzo. By the time you read this, the Philip Island round would have been done and dusted too and Rossi would have been off a MotoGP podium on just two ocassions. That means 14 podium positions, which includes four wins and just as crucially, three second places and seven third positions.
But then again, that’s what you would expect from someone as fast and now, experienced as Rossi. It makes a long-time motorsport fan feel a little old to think that it was 15 years ago when Rossi made his debut in Grand Prix motorcycle racing’s top category. The sensationally fast rider has given way to a wily fox who pounces only when heavier hitters falter. Give it up for the Doctor.
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