Aragon winner Pedrosa rules out help

MotoGP News
Date: 29/September/2012

Dani Pedrosa won his fourth MotoGP race of the season in dominant fashion at Aragon, but still faces an uphill challenge in terms of the title.

Pedrosa beat World Championship leader Jorge Lorenzo by over six-seconds, but the Yamaha rider is still 33-points clear with just four rounds to go.

The big question now is whether Pedrosa’s Honda team-mate and reigning double champion Casey Stoner - tipped to return from ankle surgery at the next round in Japan - will support Pedrosa’s challenge.

Pedrosa insists that he doesn’t want any assistance.

“You win a championship because you are better overall than everyone else. Not because you get any help,” he said.

“Casey is a winner and I wouldn’t ask him to do anything like that.

“We are team-mates, but we are both winners and if he comes back I think it is because he wants to win the last races of his career.”

Stoner, who has also won four races this year despite missing the last three events, is to retire at the end of 2012.

Pedrosa also ruled out any tactical riding, perhaps by trying to slow a race down and help other riders to get ahead of Lorenzo.

“You can do those things in 125cc or Moto3, but with these bikes it is not so easy and these riders are tough. They will overtake you any chance they get. Anyway, the race pace is the race pace and you cannot stop it.”

Pedrosa added: “I want to be clear, I just try to do a good race every Sunday - not think about what [Lorenzo] is doing.”

Lorenzo admits Stoner’s return will make things more ‘difficult’ and continues to push Yamaha for upgrades.

“For sure Casey will make my life more difficult and it only takes one small mistake to lose our advantage. Dani was faster than us today and we have to improve our bike so we have the option to win races,” he said.