The Secret to Dani’s Success

THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT DANI PEDROSA’S WIN AT MISANO was a spectacular one but what was it that made MotoGP’s perennial underdog return to top form? The warm temperatures at Misano were a factor of course. They meant fewer issues with retaining heat in the bike’s tyres; his choice of tyres for the race was almost unique with only one other rider running the same combination. What set Dani apart however was his unique riding style, which meant he was able to use Michelin’s grippier front option.

His brilliant performance however was not a complete surprise. There were rays of light at Silverstone too. Dani himself admitted that the day of testing at Brno was crucial for it allowed the team to confirm if the new parts on the bike were of any actual benefit. “For the test in Brno we had a different chassis and some parts. So what we did at that test was recheck all the parts to see if they were any better. At the end we went back to what we had before and tried different settings on the standard parts. I liked this a bit more than the new parts. I could start feeling the tyres better and I was less unhappy since it was already a step better,” Dani explained. “We decided to use this setting for the next race to see how it helps me understand the tyres better. As a result, little by little, I learnt how to ride better with these tyres at Silverstone. Here (at Misano) I have learnt even more,” he added.

Keen to see an improvement in performance, HRC allowed Pedrosa to seek the advice of Juan Martinez – one time crew chief of Nicky Hayden – on matters of preparation and approach. The performance also came after it emerged that Pedrosa will have a new crew chief for 2017. Giacomo Guidotti – currently working in Scott Redding’s corner – will move from Pramac Ducati to HRC, moving Pedrosa’s right-hand man Ramon Aurin to work alongside Jack Miller [Marc VDS Honda].