Honda’s Dani Pedrosa arrives at Phillip Island for the Australian MotoGP on Sunday with renewed enthusiasm as he battles with Casey Stoner for third place in this year’s championship.
“I’m really looking forward to racing in Australia again,” said Pedrosa. “It feels like one of the most important races of the season for me, and I’m very motivated to do my best there, get a good result and hopefully challenge for the win.”
Casey Stoner’s return from illness to the MotoGP fold in the last race in Portugal was the spark to reignite Pedrosa’s season. With Yamaha’s Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo fighting over the title, third is now likely to be between Pedrosa and Stoner, with the 23-year-old Australian bringing his Ducati home ahead of Pedrosa’s Honda at Estoril to reduce the Spaniard’s advantage to just three points, with a potential 75pts still available.
Pedrosa admitted that he’d had “mixed experiences” at the Phillip Island circuit – he failed to finish last year – but sounded another positive note.
“The objective for the remainder of the season is to keep third place in the championship and score at least one more victory, so if that can come in Australia, all the better,” Pedrosa added.
Repsol Honda’s Andrea Dovizioso has an outside chance of upsetting the applecart, lying 31pts behind his team-mate Pedrosa in fifth after a solid seventh in Portugal.
At the front, it’s Rossi versus Lorenzo, with the latter carrying the momentum from a stunning win in Portugal that blew away the competition, including a struggling Rossi. But the Italian legend has been around far too long to start being psyched out by one result.
“I think that the championship is going to be a great fight to the end with Lorenzo,” said five-time MotoGP champion Rossi, “but the next two tracks especially are two of my best.”
Current championship standings
Valentino Rossi (Italy), Yamaha – 250pts
Jorge Lorenzo (Spain), Yamaha – 232pts
Dani Pedrosa (Spain), Honda – 173pts
Casey Stoner (Australia), Ducati – 170pts
Andrea Dovizioso (Italy), Honda – 142pts
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