Dani Pedrosa begins his preparations for his fifth season in MotoGP on Thursday with the first of two days of testing at the Sepang International Circuit. In December he underwent surgery to remove a screw in his left wrist to improve mobility and reduce pain, and just hours before he takes to the track in Malaysia to work on the RC212V he will ride this season Pedrosa gave motogp.com his thoughts on the test and the challenges ahead in 2010.

How are you feeling physically, and can you say you’re starting the pre-season in good shape?
Yes. Throughout last season I had problems with my wrist but didn’t say anything. I held out to the end of the season, giving my maximum, but after it finished despite the fact I wasn’t riding a bike and wasn’t putting any pressure on my wrist it was still painful. So I decided it was best to get the screw taken out. The recovery period was two to three weeks and the results until now have been very positive. I have been training, and have done a little motocross. The wrist has responded well despite how recently it was operated on. These few days will be a test on my wrist as well, but from the moment I had the screw removed it has felt better. I feel recovered and ready for this first test.

In the last few years you have suffered injuries in pre-season (Sepang 2008, Qatar 2009) that have affected your condition ahead of the start of the season. This season it is important to use all the test days…
Yes, the priority is to take advantage of all of the days of testing available, because this time around more than ever there are not many days. Therefore these are very important tests and it is vital we avoid making any mistakes and are in good shape for the first race.

What is the plan for this first test?
To continue where we left off in Valencia. We’ll carry on testing the Öhlins suspension which is a big change after so many years with the Showa. We will see how they react with small modifications to the chassis. There is also myself: I’ve not ridden for three months so I need to get back on the bike and find a rhythm, speed and also a physical level.

The electronics will be an important aspect over these two days?
Yes, these are one of the most important aspects of the 800cc bikes and we have to try and configure it in the best possible way. Last year it was one of our weaknesses, especially when braking, and here at this track there is lots of braking so we’ll try to find the best setting for this.

What do you expect to have at the first race in Qatar on April 11 that you don’t have now?
I want the bike to be totally to my liking and to be able to ride it with everything in unison. This gives you great confidence, and is so important.

With the engine limitations that take effect this year (six to be used across the 18 races) reliability will be more important than ever. How do you view this?
I think reliability is a strong point of Honda bikes, which are always competitive and have very few problems. Of course it will be difficult because you also never know what will happen, if you have a crash or something like that. But Honda has a cautious approach and always provides durable engines.

Do you think there will be a change to the ‘four aliens’ this season?
That can change at any time. Evidently last year the level was clear, but the race changed with every Grand Prix. The order was different every weekend. One rider can win one day, another can win on another – the competition is very high. As for the other riders, that will become clear during the season.

What do you think about the fact there are five Spanish riders in the premier class for the first time?
It’s a very high number. If you look back in the past, it’s very hard to find one or two riders. But it’s very positive for us now.

This is your fifth year in the premier class and your contract ends after this campaign. Do you feel there is a special pressure on you in 2010?
I think it is an important year, but it is for everyone. You know at the start of every year it will be close and maybe everyone is a bit nervous, but everyone will be very focused and ready for every race.

What’s the reason for your change back to the number 26?
It’s a mark of gratitude to my fans who have followed me through difficult moments such as the 2008 campaign, and especially 2009. I’ve done it for them, I know they like it, and they know my number and can follow me.

But you hope to change it for the number 1?
Even in the best scenario, I wouldn’t change it! I’m not sure, but first I have to earn it.

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Source: MotoGP

At the rain-soaked Malaysian circuit, Pedrosa overcame the kind of weather setting that has previously proven hard for him to deal with to finish second, behind Casey Stoner and in front of Valentino Rossi.

It was a result that particularly pleased the Spaniard, who had worked specifically on improving his ability to deal with such a scenario, one which ended team-mate Andrea Dovizioso’s race after 14 laps when the Italian slid off.

“Riding in the rain has always been one of my weakest points and so for a long time I have tried to improve this by working hard and going over my limit in the wet,” he explained. “This hasn’t been an easy process, but now, finally, I achieved a podium in the wet so I’m really happy and I want to thank all the people who have helped in this process.”

Pedrosa continued, “In the middle of the race Andrea was just behind and he was closing and was putting some pressure on me, but I was riding well and I was able to keep my focus and concentration. Finally when Andrea went off, another rider was coming and this time it was Valentino. He was going quite a lot faster than me, but in the last laps I kept my pace and was able to finish in second place. I’m very happy today.”

Pedrosa also lauded Rossi’s achievement of securing a ninth World Championship title across all classes with his podium finish.

“I also want to congratulate Valentino on the World Championship – nine titles is amazing,” added Pedrosa. “Now we go to Valencia and we’ll be trying hard again there. It’s a track that I love and there will be a lot of fans too, so I’m looking forward to it.”

MotoGP Sepang Race Results:
1. Casey Stoner (Ducati)
2. Dani Pedrosa (Honda) +14.666
3. Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) +19.385
4. Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) +25.850
5. Nicky Hayden (Ducati) +38.705
6. Chris Vermeulen (Suzuki) +41.061
7. Toni Elias (Honda) +48.555
8. Marco Melandri (Kawasaki) +55.557
9. Loris Capirossi (Suzuki) +1′00.303
10. Mika Kallio (Ducati) +1′00.440
11. Aleix Espargaro (Ducati) +1′01.655
12. Alex De Angelis (Honda) +1′01.847
13. Colin Edwards (Yamaha) +1′10.778
14. Gabor Talmacsi (Honda) +1′15.851
15. James Toseland (Yamaha) +1′50.672

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Source: MotoGp

Pedrosa has tasted victory at the track in both the 125cc and 250cc classes, and in his three seasons in the top flight two third-placed finishes and second last year are as close as he has come to winning at Sepang.

With just six points separating himself and third-placed Ducati Marlboro man Stoner in the overall standings, a second win of the 2009 season at this weekend’s Shell Advance Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix would maintain the battle in the championship.

“Sepang is a good circuit and I always look forward to this race,” said Pedrosa. “I’ve won here previously with Honda in the 125 and 250 classes, and I’d really like to add a MotoGP win to those victories. It could be tough because we know how fast our rivals have been recently, but still, the win is what we’ll be aiming for as always – and also to challenge Casey for third in the championship.”

Pedrosa, who finished third at Phillip Island last weekend, continued, “The track has a fast and challenging layout – plus the hot, humid conditions we encounter here always mean this is a physically demanding race for the riders, although we’re well prepared for it. It will certainly be a big contrast to the cold weather conditions we rode in at Phillip Island last weekend. At the moment we are looking to improve the stability of our machine and it’s important that from the first moments of practice we use all the preparation time available to us to arrive in the best possible shape for this race.”

Andrea Dovizioso sits directly below his team-mate in the championship, and he celebrated his first MotoGP podium at Sepang in his rookie season last year.

“I really look forward to racing in Malaysia as this is my favourite track and I have good memories there,” said the Italian. “Last year I had a strong race at Sepang and scored my first podium in MotoGP on the RC212V for the Scot Honda team. I’m also confident about this weekend because, during the last part of the race in Australia, my feeling with the bike improved a lot, and if we make a good start in practice on Friday I think we can go on to be competitive in the race.”

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Source: MotoGp