Dani Pedrosa has moved to within 28 points of Moto GP Championship leader Jorge Lorenzo with two races to go, after winning the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday.
The triumph was the Repsol Honda rider’s fourth in five races and mounted the pressure on Lorenzo, who almost collided with his compatriot on the opening lap.
Lorenzo led for the first half of the race, before Pedrosa reeled him in and then convincingly went on to take the chequered flag at Motegi.
The Moto GP series leader came in second, while Honda’s Alvaro Bautista finished third to make it an all-Spanish podium.
“We did what we needed to do,” Pedrosa told reporters. “It’s just a pity that there is no one else who can stay with us because every race I win, (Lorenzo’s) been second. But anyway, it’s a great feeling to win races and we are doing it now.”
One man who could take points off Lorenzo, if Pedrosa keeps winning, is Casey Stoner who returned after injury to finish fifth in Japan.
“This weekend I slightly got my confidence back up. During the race, I had the pace to run with the front guys, probably not for the whole race. But we definitely had the pace and that’s good,” he said.