Dani Pedrosa, winner of 31 MotoGP races and a three-time world champion in the 125cc and 250cc classes, made his motorsport debut in Imola earlier this month in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Europe.
Pedrosa finished ninth in the Pro-Am category in his FFF Racing car in the first race, before taking fourth place in the second.
The Spaniard retired from MotoGP at the end of 2018 and has been a test rider for KTM ever since, making a wildcard appearance at last year ‘s Styrian GP where he finished 10th after being involved in a crash with Lorenzo Savadori. Aprilia rider, at the start of it, and which caused a red flag.
Speaking exclusively to Motorsport.com, after his motorsport debut at Imola, Pedrosa affirms that the expansion of his experiences on four wheels will depend both on his progress in the last two rounds of the Super Trofeo that he will contest this year and on his calendar of tests with KTM in 2023.
“I’m sure my priority now is KTM,” Pedrosa said when asked if he wants to embark on a full season of car racing in the future.
“So my first calendar is that. I have to wait and see how I go in the other two races that I have left and see how it develops for the future.”
“But in the ideal situation where it picks up speed and performs a bit more, then it would be interesting to at least do a season and see how it goes.”
“But I’ll always have to see if the [KTM test rider’s] schedule doesn’t match up with the others.”
Pedrosa made his motor racing debut the same weekend that his former MotoGP rival and two-wheel legend Valentino Rossi had his first start in GT World Challenge Europe.
The Spaniard’s box was located next to Rossi’s, so the two were able to talk briefly about their outings.
“Well, actually it was a coincidence that my box was in front of his,” added Pedrosa.
“In fact, in training we met and we spent a couple of minutes talking about the experience so far and [he] explained to me how to stay on the line.”
“In MotoGP we are used to having a race line, which is faster because you have the rubber [accumulated on the line]. But we passed it but when we come out of it and [the track] is dirty.
“But with cars, you have the pickup [of the rubber]. So, I was talking to him [about] that, when I have to move and give way to the faster ones, I pick up rubber and then the tires vibrate and I can’t getting rid of the [extra] rubber to get grip again. This is something we’ve experienced in the same way.”
Pedrosa and Rossi are not the only former MotoGP stars racing on four wheels in 2022, as three-time world champion Jorge Lorenzo will contest the Italian Porsche Carrera Cup and will also have the opportunity to take part in the Porsche Supercup.
Asked if he would like to see his old MotoGP enemies reunited on the track on four wheels, Pedrosa said: “It would be funny to say the least, for sure.”
“It would be interesting to see us in a different environment, although motorsport is quite similar. But it could be fun.”
