Dani Pedrosa shares whether he would have won a MotoGP title during Marc Marquez’s injury lay-off at Honda

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Dani Pedrosa finished second in the MotoGP standings three times during his full-time MotoGP career, which he spent exclusively with Honda.

The Spaniard was Marc Marquez’s teammate throughout his best years at the Japanese outfit, and failed to beat him once in six attempts. Nowadays, he acts as a KTM test and development rider, helping them develop the RC-16, which started the 2025 season on a bad note.

After a 2018 season where he failed to reach the MotoGP podium for the first time ever, he announced his retirement from the sport at the age of 33, and stepped away from his duties with Honda, with whom he had shared a relationship since his 125cc days.

The closest Pedrosa came to a title was in 2012, when he finished just 18 points shy of Casey Stoner and a maiden triumph. After watching the 2025 campaign, Pedrosa has been amazed by Marquez and what he is still able to achieve at 32 years old. Pedrosa also loved Pedro Acosta’s praise for the six-time champion after their home race in Catalunya.

READ MORE: Dani Pedrosa says Marc Marquez does something in victory celebrations that crushes his MotoGP teammates

Dani Pedrosa thinks he might have won a MotoGP title after Marc Marquez’s injury lay-off

Sylvain Guintoli believes Pedrosa would be ‘perfect’ for the bikes of today, which have developed a lot over the last few years. The regulations are headed in an automated direction, which has frustrated some, but also might play to the strengths of others.

Pedrosa could only thank Marquez after putting on a show earlier in the season, and seeing how strong his old teammate continues to be. After his major crash in 2020, which left him sidelined for nearly 12 months, it begs the question whether Pedrosa could have taken advantage of the situation.

The Spaniard’s theory is vague, and he’s not 100% sure whether he could have been able to take the reins over from Marquez post-injury.

“Well, you probably can’t say never. I don’t know, obviously that’s how it went. I had the luck, you can look at it another way too,” he told Moto.it.

“But the luck to compete with Valentino [Rossi], [Casey] Stoner, [Jorge] Lorenzo, [and Marc] Marquez at their peak and fight with them throughout my career, and I’m happy about that because I’m sure that a moment so full of talent and determination is hard to find in time.”

READ MORE: Dani Pedrosa once questioned how FIM stewards were handling Marc Marquez, ‘they have looked the other way’

Did Dani Pedrosa deserve to win a MotoGP title?

Pedrosa’s MotoGP resume is quite impressive, with 31 wins and 112 podiums, but no titles to show for his efforts.

He did claim a 125cc and two 250cc triumphs before graduating to the premier class, but his talents were deserving of top honours.

Pedrosa once tried to send Marquez a ‘warning’ following some contact during his rookie season. Although they were both from the same country, they still clashed.

It’s purely speculative, but when he went down with an injury, anything could have happened. Honda’s bike was capable of winning, and his experience could have led them to the top once more.