Marco Bezzecchi
MotoGP great Dani Pedrosa has admitted that he never ‘wanted’ to make the ‘very difficult’ decision to retire from the sport.
Pedrosa, 40, is one of the best MotoGP riders of his generation, having represented Honda and KTM during a career that spanned more than 12 years.
Although he never got his hands on the MotoGP world championship, Pedrosa did finish runner-up on three occasions, in 2007, 2010 and 2012.
In total, the Spaniard enjoyed 31 wins, 112 podiums and 31 pole positions from 221 race starts.
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Dani Pedrosa opens up on ‘very difficult’ decision to retire from MotoGP
Back in 2018, Pedrosa announced his retirement, a decision that he has now admitted was one he never ‘wanted’ to make.
Speaking recently on the Fast & Curious podcast, Pedrosa said that although he understood the time was right, it was very difficult to call time on his career.
After being shown an image of him during an emotional press conference in which he announced his retirement, Pedrosa said: “Look, I don’t have, honestly, I don’t have a great feeling from that moment.
“Because the moment of retirement isn’t for me, it wasn’t something that I really wanted to do, you know? It’s good, you understand that it’s the right time, because I understood it.
“But, wow, what a shame to have to stop, you know? I wish I could continue for another 10 years stronger, more motivated, more eager and all that, but it’s the way of life.”
When asked whether the decision was difficult, Pedrosa added: “Yes, it was difficult. Very difficult, but I’m telling you, it’s normal, it happens to everyone.”
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Dani Pedrosa refuses to shut the door on MotoGP return
Currently, Pedrosa is a test rider for KTM, but when asked whether there is a chance that fans could see him take part in a MotoGP race again, the 40-year-old was coy with his answer.
Pedrosa admitted that he ‘doesn’t know’ what the future holds, as right now, his main focus is to do the best in his role as KTM’s test rider ahead of next year.
Pedrosa said: “Look, right now, while I’m a rider, a test rider, I want to focus on that. Especially this year, because we have the change of category next year, and it’s important to be doing the tests of next year’s bike.
“We just had Maverick injured, and Pol also just got hurt. So, of course, it’s a critical situation. I should be able, at least in this part of the championship, to be available to follow the upcoming 800 tests, which are very important. So, that’s the priority right now. Next year, I don’t know.”
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