Pedrosa confirms Le Mans return

Dani Pedrosa has confirmed that he will return to MotoGP this weekend in France. The Spaniard has been on the sidelines since the season opening Qatar Grand Prix but now feels strong enough to return following arm pump surgery.

“My recovery has gone well, I think I was right to be patient and take it slowly, and to respect the time frames that I needed,” said Pedrosa. “Now, finally, I can tell you that I will be in Le Mans this weekend. The truth is that I’m really keen to get back on my motorbike, as I’m sure you can guess. It’s not just about that, though. I’m also excited to get back to my team to work side by side with them again. They’re a great bunch.”

The Spaniard’s absence has seen Honda forced to race with Hiro Aoyama as Marc Marquez’ teammate and the Japanese rider has struggled to get on terms with the factory RC213v having raced the Open bike last year. Pedrosa’s return will come as a great boost to both Honda and if he is back to full fitness and able to fight at the front he could become a key ally for Marc Marquez in the title fight.