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SABADELL – KTM test racer, Dani Pedrosa, has revealed the reasons behind his decision to take two wildcard races in the 2023 MotoGP season. He stated that the adoption of the additional sprint format this season had encouraged the test riders to try to catch up with the regular riders, so they had a similar understanding.
Pedrosa has previously appeared as a wildcard in the 2023 Spanish MotoGP. His performance was extraordinary and delighted MotoGP fans. Even though he is already 37 years old, he managed to record the best time in the first practice session, showing the ability and sharpness that is still maintained.
The rider who has won 31 wins in the MotoGP race managed to finish sixth in the sprint race and get seventh position in the main race at the Jerez Circuit.
After his impressive performance, Pedrosa has been confirmed to appear again as a wildcard in the 2023 San Marino MotoGP which will be held on September 10. This will be his second participation in the season after appearing only once in previous years.
The former Repsol Honda star explained that his decision to take two wildcard spots this season was to keep up with the development of the regular riders. He emphasized that the test riders had to catch up, especially with the sprint format that had just been adopted this season.
“Sprint races completely change the dynamics of a race weekend. Therefore, as test riders, we must try to catch up so that we can speak the same language as the regular racers,” said Pedrosa as quoted from Speedweek, Tuesday (29/8/2023).
In addition, each manufacturer currently only has a limit on the number of tires that can be tested in a year, which is 200 tires. This number decreased by 40 tires compared to the previous year.
“The number of tires is very limited and getting less every year. However, the technology is advancing, so we need more testing. However, our options are limited due to the limited number of tires available,” explained the Spaniard.
“In fact, sometimes we have to use tires more than the recommended limit. For example, if the limit is 30 laps, we have to try 33 laps due to the limited tires available to do all the necessary testing,” he added.
(sto)
