PEDROSA REVEALS HE PUNCHED A LORENZO-FACED BAG DURING THEIR RIVALRY

Dani Pedrosa has described just how intense his MotoGP rivalry with Jorge Lorenzo became, revealing that he kept a punching bag bearing his fellow Spaniard’s face and used it to let off steam.

The pair were among the sport’s fiercest rivals before Valentino Rossi and Marc Marquez took centre stage. Their hostility was so pronounced that they could avoid even looking at one another in the paddock. One memorable public moment came at the 2008 Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez, where Pedrosa beat Lorenzo and King Juan Carlos prompted the two riders to shake hands on the podium.

Lorenzo later recalled that the gesture did little to ease tensions. They shook hands because they had to, he said, but barely looked at each other or spoke; in the paddock, they would turn away when they crossed paths.

Pedrosa confirmed the depth of the animosity in an episode of DAZN’s *Decoded*. “I’m sure Jorge had a dartboard with my face on it and was throwing darts at it, whilst I had a punching bag with his face on it and was punching it,” he said. “That’s how it was – for real.”

The rivalry also shaped Pedrosa’s approach to training and racing. He said he would go out determined that Lorenzo could not beat him, adding: “If Rossi beat me, fine, but not Jorge.” The competition created an extra drive to improve, he explained, as he focused on what he needed to do to keep Lorenzo behind him.

Their relationship became more amicable later in their careers, but the rivalry remained a defining part of their time as competitors. Pedrosa also revealed in 2024 that he had come close to leaving Honda for Yamaha in 2017, when Lorenzo departed for Ducati. Yamaha considered Pedrosa and Maverick Viñales as possible replacements, and Pedrosa said he wanted to experience Lorenzo’s bike and its qualities for himself. “That time was the one I was closest to,” he told Lorenzo.

Yamaha ultimately chose Viñales. Pedrosa stayed with Honda throughout his premier-class career, then retired from full-time MotoGP racing in 2018. He finished with 31 Grand Prix victories.