Dani Pedrosa hoping test progress aids Misano prospects

Despite finishing on every step of the Misano podium over the past three MotoGP seasons, Pedrosa admitted he and Honda had encountered set-up issues in previous editions of the race.

He says such instability should have been ironed out by the recent tests at Brno and Aragon however, putting him in the ideal position to extend his current two-race victory streak.

"In the past, our bike has been quite unstable there but I believe this year we have improved that," Pedrosa said.

"I hope the work we have done in the Brno and Aragon tests with suspension and electronics, can help us to start the weekend strong in Misano.

"[It] is a tricky track, quite bumpy, with a lot of braking and accelerations. The grip level is always a challenge, because it changes a lot from the morning sessions to the afternoon.

"We need to continue working in the same way, focusing on our bike's performance and my riding to keep reducing the gap in the championship."

After the opening 12 races of this year's campaign Pedrosa's tally stands at three wins and 11 podiums, a record only bettered by his 2010 season, when he finished a distant runner-up to Lorenzo.