Pedrosa stunned by his own speed: “I never expected it!”
The MotoGP legend stormed to the fastest run in the first Friday practice session at Jerez, rolling back the years and delighting fans who have only seen him at one race weekend in the past four years.
It was a dream start to the Spanish MotoGP for the KTM test rider, who entered with a wildcard.
“It was an amazing feeling, for sure! And for the team, as well. And for the fans,” he said.
“I never expected it, it was a surprise!”
Have Pedrosa’s expectations now changed for Saturday and Sunday?
“No, absolutely not. We have our marks and that’s where we will stick to. That’s it.”
Pedrosa’s 1m 36.770s - which topped the timesheets in P1 - was not bettered until the final 10 minutes of P2, when Maverick Vinales edged it.
Aleix Espargaro ended Friday fastest, ahead of Aprilia teammate Vinales, and with Pedrosa ninth.
His prediction for Saturday’s sprint race? Pedrosa smiled: “I have no idea, honestly. I have many things to speak to the team about.
“To see how the format goes, what the start procedure is. Things to check with the team. We are going step by step.”
It might continue beyond Friday but Pedrosa’s P1 run-out, through the corner named in his honour, was a wonderful moment.
The most successful rider in MotoGP history without a championship retired at the end of 2018 and, since then, raced just once, in 2021 in Austria.
“It’s great, a good feeling,” he reflected on his Friday.
“Especially coming back to this amazing track with these magnificent competitors.
“They have pushed the level so high.
“That’s why you have to be very focused every time.
“This morning we had a good start, this afternoon it was more complicated due to track conditions.
“Maybe the heat, or the wind, was making the lap times slower. It was difficult to improve.
“Some riders improved, even in the afternoon with worse track conditions.
“I’m happy because we’re inside the top 10, that’s good news.
“Tomorrow we have a new thing to learn. It’s something different, with qualifying in the morning.
“It’s not an easy thing, it’s tough on the riders.”
James was a sports journalist at Sky Sports for a decade covering everything from American sports, to football, to F1.
