Valentino Rossi hopeful on Dani Pedrosa’s fitness fight

Reigning MotoGP world champion Valentino Rossi has said he hopes Dani Pedrosa will be fit to start the new world championship in Qatar next month.

The Spaniard is facing a desperate race to be fit for the season’s opening clash in the Middle East on April 12 after he suffered left arm and leg injuries in a crash at the Qatar night test earlier this month.

Pedrosa is currently recovering from surgery to insert a titanium screw in his left arm and he also needed a bone graft on his left knee that is certain to force him the final winter test in Jerez on March 28/29.

The Repsol Honda rider remains confident he will be able to ride his factory RC212V in Qatar, even though he is over ten days away from being able to bend his left leg.

Fiat Yamaha rider Rossi is hopeful his old adversary can win his fitness battle.

The 30-year-old said: “Dani is in a difficult situation because another injury now is not very good.

“But I think he has to stay quiet and he has some time before the first race and I think and I hope he will arrive fit when we go back to Qatar.”