Dani Pedrosa’s first wildcard race of 2024 teased by KTM
KTM boss hints at Dani Pedrosa's first 2024 race but there is no date for Pol Espargaro yet
Dani Pedrosa is set to race in Jerez at the Spanish MotoGP as a wildcard.
The MotoGP great will return on April 28 in his home country for his next race appearance.
Pedrosa, now 38, enters 2024 as KTM’s test rider again.
"That seems pretty safe,” KTM motorsport director Pit Beirer told Sport1 about Pedrosa racing in Jerez.
“Everything else will be decided depending on the course of the season, depending on which races we need as a test.”
However, there is still no verdict on when Pol Espargaro - who was demoted from the Tech3 GASGAS team to the role of a KTM test rider this year - will race as a wildcard.
Last year, Pedrosa raced twice (in Spain and San Marino) and earned rave reviews.
He finished seventh in Spain and fourth in San Marino despite retiring from full-time racing at the end of 2018.
He said last year: “Now that I’m this age, if I stop to remember that Valentino Rossi won his last race at 38, or Loris Capirossi at 37?
“At that time I was young and didn’t value enough that they were able to win at that age.
“Now I’m that age and I’m racing, fighting at the front with the young guys, now I know that racing at the top level at this age is more difficult than when you are young. No doubt.”
Pedrosa is the rider with the most wins in MotoGP history who has never won a championship.
When he's not impressing his fellow riders in his rare race appearances, Pedrosa now has a crucial role in developing the KTM for the benefit of Brad Binder, Jack Miller, Pedro Acosta and Augusto Fernandez.
The Austrian manufacturer have high hopes that they can be the nearest team to the dominant Ducati, and if they are to do so, Pedrosa's developmental work will be crucial.
