If you are an ardent MotoGP fan, you might know about how well KTMs have been performing from the past few seasons. Brad Binder took KTM’s first-ever MotoGP win at the Czech Grand Prix in 2020 just three races into his rookie season and after that, Miguel Oliveira has made sure that remains a force to be reckoned with in all the races. One of the most important reasons behind KTM’s meteoric rise in the premier class is how brilliant the RC16 has become over the years.
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And this has to be attributed to Dani Pedrosa. The double 250cc world champion and one-time 125cc title winner has been playing the role of KTM’s official test rider.
According to KTM boss Pit Beirer, Pedrosa has agreed to return to the startline once development work on the 2022 RC16 is finalised, with Misano and KTM’s home race in Austria considered the most likely targets. “We will definitely see Dani this year,” Beirer told Speedweek.
“We will do a wildcard with him as soon as we think the package for 2022 is ready for it. We want Dani back to a GP circuit. Nevertheless, the final decision rests with Dani himself. He has to tell us if he wants to expose himself to the pressure and stress of a GP weekend again, but he told us he wants to do it. We would not have pushed him in that direction. He apparently wants to compete with the other MotoGP guys again.”
It will certainly be an interesting experience for Pedrosa and many will be keen to see how he fares after three years out of action, but his rapid top five times in pre-season testing would suggest he could be a dark horse at a circuit like the Red Bull Ring where he has probably completed more laps than any other rider on the grid.