Marco Bezzecchi
Aleix Espargaro has described Dani Pedrosa as his ‘favourite MotoGP rider of all time’, marvelling at what he achieved in spite of his slight build.
Pedrosa and Espargaro didn’t cross paths until 2009 when the latter first broke into MotoGP. By that point, the ‘Little Samurai’ had already become a title-contending rider.
Pedrosa never won a premier-class title, failing to complete the set after his success at 125cc and 250cc level, but he is still regarded as one of the ‘fantastic five’ in the modern era.
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The consensus is that Pedrosa was too small to tame MotoGP bikes, as opposed to the lighter machines in the lower classes. Perhaps he was also unfortunate to come up against so many legendary riders.
Aleix Espargaro recalls Dani Pedrosa pulling ‘half a second’ on the straight
In an interview with Mundo Deportivo, Espargaro said Pedrosa’s MotoGP achievements are ‘amazing’ in light of his physical limitations. He ranks fourth all-time for premier-class podiums with 113.
Espargaro explained that it was especially difficult for his compatriot to generate heat in the tyres and steer the bike with a full tank of fuel.
But he wasn’t at a disadvantage across the board. He recalls Pedrosa pulling a ‘half a second gap’ on the straight because his bike would accelerate faster.
“In my case, I’ve always been one of the tallest riders and I’ve suffered a lot,” he said. “Throughout my career, I’ve had to diet a lot and stay very lean to avoid losing acceleration.
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“My favourite MotoGP rider of all time is Dani Pedrosa. He doesn’t have any titles, and for me, everything he’s achieved is incredibly impressive. It’s amazing how a rider weighing barely 60 kilos and so small has been so competitive. It’s been a real struggle for him.
“Everything has its advantages and disadvantages, and that’s part of the sport, and it always will be. Having more muscle mass has its pros and cons.
“I’ve raced against Dani Pedrosa, and as soon as I straightened the bike on the straight, it was impossible to catch him; he’d pull half a second ahead.
“However, in the cold, it was incredibly difficult for him to warm up the tyres, or moving the bike with a full tank, especially when there were no wings.
“In the wet, bigger riders have an advantage because we can carry a bit more weight, get more heat into the tyres, or when there’s little grip on the track, it’s a bit easier for us to manoeuvre.”
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Toprak Razgatlioglu’s height has already given Yamaha some headaches after his switch from World Superbikes. He’s also believed to be the heaviest rider on the grid at around 80kg.
There’s a considerable gap to Yamaha factory rider Alex Rins and Gresini’s Fermin Aldeguer (72kg). Three riders weigh in at 69kg: Honda duo Joan Mir and Luca Marini and Rins’ teammate Fabio Quartararo.
At the other end of the scale is Razgatlioglu’s fellow rookie Diogo Moreira and 2024 Moto2 champion Ai Ogura (60kg). As Espargaro explains, it’s most advantageous to be in the middle, like Ducati pair Francesco Bagnaia and Marc Marquez (64kg).
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