MotoGP: Dani Pedrosa to make KTM wildcard appearance at Misano

Dani Pedrosa will return to the MotoGP grid in September as a wildcard entrant for the Red Bull KTM team at Misano.

Pedrosa, the Austrian manufacturer’s test rider, last raced at Jerez this season and enjoyed a successful weekend. Despite mainly being there to develop new parts for the RC16, Pedrosa topped the opening practice session and finished inside the top three on the combined timesheets at the end of that day.

Pedrosa then qualified sixth before finishing sixth in the sprint race, only +1.738s behind race winner Brad Binder, and seventh in the main Grand Prix race, +6.371s behind race winner Pecco Bagnaia.

Pedrosa has played a huge part in turning KTM into consistent front runners in the premier class. Binder currently sits fourth in the championship after winning two sprint races and taking one Grand Prix podium so far in 2023. Binder has won twice onboard the KTM since joining the premier class in 2020.

Teammate Jack Miller is seventh in the standings after also taking one Grand Prix podium, as well as two sprint race podiums, whilst former KTM rider Miguel Oliveira won five races onboard the RC16 between 2020 and 2022.

The upcoming wildcard appearance at Misano (September 8-10) will be Pedrosa’s third onboard the RC16 since retiring as a full-time competitor at the end of the 2018 season. Pedrosa finished 10^th at the Red Bull Ring in the 2021 Styrian Grand Prix.

Pedrosa has won twice at Misano, in 2010 and 2016, and amassed a total of four podiums in San Marino during his career.

Following the race weekend, Pedrosa will take part in the second and final official mid-season IRTA test at Misano on the Monday.