Pedrosa: Narrow, short Thailand track a challenge

Dani Pedrosa says after completing familiarisation laps on a scooter around the Buriram International Circuit getting the right lines will be tricky around the tight and short nature of the new circuit for MotoGP.

Pedrosa and Repsol Honda teammate Marc Marquez have been getting up to speed in Thailand ahead of the three-day MotoGP test by going out on track on scooters ahead of their debuts at the circuit which is set for its maiden MotoGP round in early October.

The Spanish rider is intrigued to take on the Buriram track with his Repsol Honda RC213V and accepts it could be a tricky challenge finding the ideal set-up and gear ratios at the high speed circuit with multiple slow corners and its technical midfield section.

“We’ll really only understand this new track tomorrow when we ride our bike, but for a start you can get some good ideas just by looking at who has come here before us, like the Superbike guys,” Pedrosa said. “The gearbox setup is one of the most important things when you start at a new track.

“The lines are more intuitive, easier to understand once you start riding, but you have to enter the corners in the right gear, with the right speed. My first impression, apart from it being really, really hot, is that the track is quite narrow and short, which means it will be a little more important to be able take the right line and set up the gearbox.”

Pedrosa and his MotoGP rivals will enjoy a three-day official test at the Thailand circuit between February 16-18 before returning for its debut Grand Prix weekend on October 5-7.