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Following the release of "Alex" and "Martinator, voluntad de hierro", a new documentary has joined the ranks of eight docufilms produced by DAZN for this winter, featuring some of the world's greatest motorsport riders. This latest addition is titled "Test Rider," a 33-minute production dedicated to Dani Pedrosa and his role as a KTM test rider. He took on this position at the end of 2018 after bidding farewell to the MotoGP championship following 13 seasons with Honda.
"I wanted to continue racing, but I grew tired of the constant press conferences, the need to justify myself to journalists, and the nine-month global travel schedule," the Little Samurai confessed. He also shared insights from his premier-class racing years: "When I was actively racing, I often said, 'I wish I had less sensitivity.' Having less sensitivity would have shielded me from many influences. While being highly sensitive can be fantastic when everything is in its place, it can also become a burden when something affects you and disrupts your focus. Having a bit less sensitivity during competition is not a drawback because it allows you to overlook many minor distractions that occur while racing."
What was once a long-standing challenge has now become a significant asset, since the 38-year-old embraced the testing role offered by the KTM factory.
"I've always enjoyed being a test rider. I did it for many years with Honda, even while racing. I had Mike Leitner, my chief mechanic at Honda for many years, by my side. The bike was undergoing an evolution that began in 2017. It was a process that eventually led me to join KTM and, during the first year, my role was to identify issues and prioritize them. There were numerous priorities, and we couldn't move on to the next until we resolved the first one," Pedrosa explained. "When I arrived, we were a much smaller team. Our objective was to grow as a company to achieve specific racing goals. Certain departments, like the engine and suspension divisions, needed to expand in terms of personnel, infrastructure, and engineering to fulfill my requests. They're now faster, more efficient, and of higher quality."
This organized approach allowed KTM to experience significant growth within a few years, culminating in their first MotoGP victory with Brad Binder's triumph in the Czech Republic in 2020.
"In the year when the pandemic struck, we introduced a vastly improved bike. A few races later, KTM celebrated its inaugural victory," Dani recalled, emphasizing the significance of his role. "You have to make well-informed choices between what's good and what's not. Careful consideration is required when engineers are deliberating on aspects of the bike, because those decisions carry substantial consequences, leading to the allocation of resources in a particular direction. You must be a capable leader and confidently guide the team in the right direction. If you make a mistake, and the project veers off course, it can penalize the entire year."
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