MARQUEZ SAYS HIS INJURY HAS DEEPENED HIS RESPECT FOR PEDROSA

Marc Marquez says his own physical struggles have given him a deeper understanding of what Dani Pedrosa achieved in MotoGP. The reigning world champion, who has been limited by an arm injury, reflected on his former Honda team-mate in a DAZN documentary about the Spaniard.

Marquez and Pedrosa shared the factory Honda garage from 2013 to 2018. Pedrosa won 31 premier-class grands prix across a career spanning 2006 to 2018, but injuries, misfortune and the physical disadvantages of his smaller build often stood in his way. He retired at the end of 2018 and became a KTM test rider, later making occasional wildcard appearances. He also works as a DAZN pundit.

“Dani had physical limitations, and significant ones at that,” Marquez said. With modern MotoGP machinery, he added, “Either you have extraordinary technique, or—with these bikes—it’s impossible to compensate for a lack of strength.”

Marquez recalled watching Pedrosa ride as a lesson in itself: “Every session, every time I followed him on the track, was a masterclass in how to ride a MotoGP bike. The Honda.” He believes Pedrosa’s combination of skill and technique was exceptional, saying, “There won’t be another like him.”

He also pointed to the bad luck that disrupted Pedrosa’s career, including incidents at Misano in 2012 and in Germany and Aragon in 2013. At Aragon, Marquez said, a story circulated that he had broken Pedrosa’s traction-control cable. “We were team-mates,” he noted.

Now that his own strength is reduced, Marquez said, “I appreciate him even more.” He added that some riders had won the championship with “half his talent” and that he still seeks Pedrosa’s guidance: “Every time I see him, I ask him for advice.”