Pedrosa retired from MotoGP on the finish of the 2018 season and took up a task as KTM’s official take a look at rider, however was at all times reluctant to race once more.
However Pedrosa has made his racing return this weekend as a wildcard in Austria, marking his first ever grand prix look on a motorcycle that wasn’t a Honda.
Pedrosa narrowly missed a direct place in Q2 from FP3 and was underneath two tenths outdoors of progressing in Q1, the KTM rider qualifying 14th.
Petronas SRT rider Rossi adopted Pedrosa in observe and in Q1 on the Purple Bull Ring on Saturday and was impressed by how rapidly he acquired again into the swing of issues after such an extended hiatus.
“I believe that Dani has made a formidable comeback and is at all times very quick and aggressive, particularly throughout the observe, additionally in FP4, he was in like P6,” Rossi, who certified seventeenth, mentioned when requested by Autosport for his opinion on Pedrosa’s comeback.
“I adopted him and he adopted me throughout the observe, so I see it’s the basic Dani Pedrosa type – it’s very clear, arduous braking however he journey at all times very easy.
“So, it’s like he at all times raced. It’s true that it appears like he has a motorcycle for subsequent yr, so appears just like the bike is aggressive and so they make quite a lot of exams right here.
“So, underneath the perspective, he is able to race right here on this observe.
“However anyway, to reveal this velocity after three years that you’re away from the race observe is kind of spectacular, so I make my congratulations to Dani.”
Dani Pedrosa, Purple Bull KTM Manufacturing facility Racing
Picture by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Commenting on his first qualifying session in three years, Pedrosa admits he struggled to hook collectively an ideal lap, whereas additionally cryptically noting that he has already seen “what I needed to see” from his comeback.
“I imply, it’s good to be matching my tempo with the others and being someplace within the center,” the 31-time MotoGP race winner mentioned.
“Lately all the pieces is kind of tight, so only one mistake in a single nook you might be off.
“So, it’s necessary to make an ideal lap. I might already see that earlier than qualifying.
“However though I attempted to get the perfect lap attainable, it was troublesome for me to make all the pieces within the lap collectively. I might make perhaps braking good, turning not good, one sector good, one sector not. So, I wasn’t in a position to put all the pieces in a single lap.
“After which, from the opposite level it was fairly clear for me, I nonetheless have the race to go however I already see what I needed to see.
“I already acquired the large image of what I used to be lacking from after I was not racing.
“So, it’s already clear for me what’s the subsequent step to do.”