Pedrosa: We're closing on Yamaha

The Spaniard finished second in the last race at Brno, having been dropped by Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo in the early laps. He inherited the runner-up spot only after Lorenzo crashed out of the lead.

But Pedrosa expects things to be better on his return to America.

"I'm really looking forward to riding in America again because the last time we were in the States - at Laguna Seca in July - we won the race," he said.

"A result like that would be great for me and the team and that's what we'll be aiming for, though we know we'll have to work hard for it because our rivals have proved they are very strong in the last few races.

"I don't think the gap they had at the last race in Brno was a true reflection of our pace compared to theirs though, so I expect we're going to be closer to them at Indy," he added.

"The team is motivated for Indy - we made some progress in the test after Brno, so we're looking for another strong weekend."