Stefan Pierer | Photo credits: KTM Blog
What initially seemed to be a normal situation between KTM and Honda, over Dani Pedrosa moving to the Austrian manufacturer in MotoGP, in turning out to be an intense war, with KTM CEO Stefan Pierer accusing Honda of being small minded.
Honda didn’t renew Dani Pedrosa contract with the factory Repsol Honda team at the end of last season, and the Spaniard decided to end his racing career and join KTM as their development rider.
While Honda let Pedrosa test the KTM RC16 earlier than expected, Stefan Pierer made sure to speak his mind over what he considers a bad attitude from Honda’s part
“Unlike the Japanese, at KTM we understand the meaning of family. We know how to support our riders, in the good and bad moments, and even when the rider is injured we are always by his side. Dani Pedrosa was discarded in an instant when he had been with the team for 14 years. He was a great brand ambassador! What they do with money, at KTM we try to do it as a family!”, says Stefan Pierer.
Even though Dani Pedrosa was nowhere near his peak performance, he still was one of the best MotoGP riders around, and it was a bit of a shock for the fans and the MotoGP paddock that Honda, or Honda Racing Corporation, didn’t secure his experience after they decided not to keep him as a Repsol Honda team rider.
Is Honda reply to these words from KTM boss Stefan Pierer?
We will need to wait and see. But one thing is certain: The relationship between Honda and KTM isn’t the best at this moment.
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