Dani Pedrosa unmoved by claim that 2013 is last MotoGP title chance
Dani Pedrosa says Honda's declaration that 2013 will be a 'now or never' season for his MotoGP title aspirations has had no effect on him
Honda chief Shuhei Nakamoto suggested earlier this month that given Pedrosa's very strong late-2012 form, he had the potential to dominate '13 and open the floodgates to a run of titles.
But Nakamoto warned that Pedrosa's position heading into 2013 was so good that if he failed to capitalise on that momentum, he might never be world champion.
Pedrosa insisted he was only focused on his own expectations of himself, and believes the likes of new team-mate Marc Marquez and Yamaha returnee Valentino Rossi will have a far greater spotlight.
"I got asked [about Nakamoto's comments] a million times, but I don't read the press or follow the news, so I don't know what is said or not," said Pedrosa.
"I look at myself. There's a lot of expectation about Valentino and about Marquez, but I've been riding bikes for a long time and I know more or less what to expect.
"I focus on what I can do and I know that if I can show my talent every day and have my team with me every day, that's enough."
Although Pedrosa's final tally for 2012 was seven wins and eight other podiums, Jorge Lorenzo's early points lead was too great for him to overcome.
Pedrosa believes he rode well enough to be champion last year and was only denied by Hector Barbera crashing into him at Misano.
"That was a big factor, but that's that," he said.
"I think what was up to me, I did OK and there is nothing else [to do]."
Honda reveals 2013 MotoGP contender
Marc Marquez says he won't rush MotoGP acclimatisation
How Quartararo is evoking an absent MotoGP great in 2022
OPINION: Fabio Quartararo has seized control of the 2022 MotoGP world standings after another dominant victory as his nearest rivals faltered. And he is very much heading towards a second championship echoing how the dominator of the last decade achieved much of his success
The human importance of Marquez’s latest enforced MotoGP absence
OPINION: Marc Marquez will likely sit out the remainder of the 2022 MotoGP season to undergo a fourth major operation on the right arm he badly broke in 2020. It is hoped it will return him to his brilliant best after a tough start to the season without a podium to his name. But it’s the human victory that will far outweigh any future on-track success he may go on to have
Why Ducati holds all the power in its MotoGP rider dilemma
OPINION: The French Grand Prix looks to have made Ducati’s decision on its factory team line-up simpler, as Enea Bastianini stormed to his third win of the campaign and Jorge Martin crashed out for a fifth time in 2022. But, as Ducati suggests to Autosport, it remains in the strongest position in a wild rider market
The seismic aftershock left by Suzuki's decision to leave MotoGP
Suzuki's sudden decision to leave the MotoGP World Championship at the end of the season has acted as a stirring element in a market that had already erupted. Autosport analyses what this means for the grid going into 2023
How the real Ducati began to emerge in MotoGP’s Spanish GP
Ducati’s 2022 MotoGP bike has had a tough start to life and the expected early-season title charge from Francesco Bagnaia did not materialise. But the Spanish Grand Prix signalled a turning point for both the GP22 and Bagnaia, as the 2021 runner-up belatedly got his season underway after a straight fight with Fabio Quartararo
How Honda's praise for its 2022 MotoGP bike has turned into doubt
In a little over two months, Honda has gone from setting the pace in MotoGP testing with its new RC213V prototype to being at a crossroads - caused by the discrepancy in its riders' feedback. After a Portuguese GP that underwhelmed, serious questions are now being asked of Honda in 2022
Why Quartararo's Portugal win wasn't only vital for his MotoGP title hopes
Fabio Quartararo got his MotoGP title defence off the ground in the Portuguese Grand Prix as a dominant first win of 2022 rocketed him to the top of the standings. While a significant result in terms of his title hopes, it has come at an even more important time in terms of his 2023 contract negotiations
How a MotoGP legend is preparing for an unexpected comeback at Goodwood
Wayne Rainey, who’s paralysed from the chest down, will ride his 1992 500cc world championship-winning bike again at this year's Goodwood Festival of Speed. The American motorcycle legend explains how he's preparing to thrill on his first visit to the famed hillclimb