The Jockey of the King Class

The 20-year-old Spaniard, Daniel Pedrosa, is anything but suitable for the MotoGP class when you look at him. But that’s not keeping him from winning.

Daniel Pedrosa is only 158 cm tall and 47 kg heavy and, hence, a fly-weight even for a motorcycle rider. Strictly speaking, the Spaniard is about 10 centimeters smaller and 10 kilos lighter than the smallest and lightest of his competitors. Many journalists in the field found him to be “too small” and “too light” when Pedrosa announced his move into the MotoGP class in 2006.

And this was not completely unfounded: in the King Class of motorcycle racing, in which a racer rides with 240 HP, the machines weigh three-times as much as Pedrosa himself weighs. In addition, his legs barely reach the ground when he is sitting on his Honda.

In his own fashion, the Spaniard showed the critics one better: he came in second already in the first race this season. To top things off, he even took the fourth race in China – and namely as the second youngest winner of all time in the MotoGP class.

Three World Championship Titles and a Wheelchair

Daniel Pedrosa has been riding in motorcycle races since he was 11. Under the wings of manager Alberto Puig – himself a former motorcycle professional – the supertalent developed in fast-motion: at 13, he was discovered by Puig, at 15 – spurred by his manager – he left school and participated for the first time in a World Championship race. At 16, he won his first GP victory, at 17 he took third in the 125cc overall rankings, at 18 he got first (in the 125cc class) and then at 19 he got second, and at 20, he won his third World Championship title (both in the 250cc class).

Although Daniel Pedrosa became the world champion three times in the last three years, his career did not continue without setbacks. In October, 2003, for example, just five days after his first World Championship title, Pedrosa fell into Phillip Island (AUS) so severely that he shattered both of his ankles.

He spent the winter in the wheelchair, and yet in the next season, he switched to the 250cc class – and immediately won the first race. After five more wins, he was the undeniably youngest quarter-liter world champion of all time at the age of 19 years and 20 days.

Dani, the repeat offender?