Date and place of birth: 29/09/1985, Sabadell (Barcelona, Spain)
Age: 19
Nationality: Spanish
Residence: London (GBR)
Weight: 49.5kg
Height: 160cm

Sporting Biography

1997: 3rd in Spanish Pocket-Bike Championship
1998: Spanish Pocket-Bike Champion
1999: 8th in 125cc MoviStar Activa Cup (Honda)
2000: 4th in 125cc Spanish Championship (Honda)
2001: 8th in 125cc World Championship (Honda)
2002: 3rd in 125cc World Championship (Honda)
2003: 125cc World Champion (Honda)
2004: 250cc World Champion (Honda)

Career in detail

1st GP:	2001 Japanese GP (125cc)
1st Pole:	2002 Japanese GP (125cc)
1st Podium:	2001 Valencia GP (125cc)
1st Victory:	2002 Dutch TT (125cc)
Full seasons:	4 (2001-2004)
GP appearances:	32 (46 in 125cc and 16 in 250cc)
Victories:	15 (8 in 125cc and 7 in 250 cc)
Second place:	9 (4 in 125cc and 5 in 250cc)
Third place:	6 (5 in 125 cc, 1 in 250cc)
Total podiums:	30 (17 in 125cc, 13 in 250cc)
Poles:	13 (9 in 125cc and 4 in 250cc)
Fastest laps:	13 (5 in 125cc and 8 in 250cc)

 World Championship statistics

Season	Category	Factory	Classification	Points
2001	125cc	Honda	8th	100
2002	125cc	Honda	3rd	243
2003	125cc	Honda	1st	223
2004	250cc	Honda	1st	317

 Personal Biography

The world of motorcycling became aware of Dani Pedrosa at the start of the 2001 season, when he made his debut in the 125cc World Championship as a member of the Telefónica MoviStar Junior Team directed by Alberto Puig. At just 15 years of age the youngster showed the sort of promise that only his parents and Alberto, whose heart he had stolen two years earlier, had imagined. Dani grew up studying videos of champions such as Rainey, Lawson and Doohan, memorising circuits, corners, gears and lap times so that when he finally threw his leg over a motorcycle, he did so like nobody before him.  

Pedrosa’s life changed in January 1999, when he first crossed paths with Alberto Puig, who was scouting for new talent at the Jarama circuit. It was the initial stages of the selection process for the MoviStar Activa Cup, where Dani had been taken by his father. Dani’s participation was more of a coincidence than anything, with the inscription form falling into his lap at the same time as he prepared to apply for a cycling licence, a sport that he also enjoyed but was much more economically viable for his family. He was 13 years old.

He had learned to change gears just the weekend before at an industrial estate near his house in Castellar del Vallés, with a motorcycle lent to him by his father. The technicians had to hold the back of the bike steady while he started up because his feet still didn’t touch the ground, but once mobile and tucked under the fairing of the Honda 125, his talent was second to none. Puig picked him to contest the 1999 season in the MoviStar Activa Junior Cup.

At that point, Dani had nine years riding experience behind him. At the age of four he had his first contact with a bike, an Italjet 50cc motocrosser with stabilisers. Two years later he rode his first pocket-bike, a miniature replica of a Kawasaki street-bike on which he first raced. At the age of ten he entered the Spanish mini-bike championship, finishing third in 1997 and winning the series the following year.

In 1999 Dani finished eighth in the MoviStar Activa Cup and Alberto Puig signed him up to contest the Spanish Championship in 2000 alongside Joan Olivé and Raúl Jara. Dani took four poles from six races in the national series and was unable to finish in two races, taking fourth place overall and opening the door to the World Championship.

The 2001 season was a learning experience for Dani, but he quickly began to establish himself in a series designed only for the best. In his first season he scored two podiums – third at Motegi and Valencia – and was crowned Rookie of the Year. In 2002 his debut victory in South Africa, nine podiums and six poles carried him to third in the championship and gave a sign of things to come in 2003, when he became 125cc World Champion after a dominant victory in Malaysia with two races to spare.

Dani wrote the most important page of his short career at Sepang, where he became the youngest ever Spanish World Champion at the age of 18 years and 13 days, and the second youngest of all time behind Loris Capirossi, who won the same title in 1989 at 17 years and 165 days. Unfortunately, Dani did not get the chance to celebrate as he deserved. A terrible crash during qualifying for the Australian GP left him with serious injuries to both ankles, which required surgery at the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne. Dani would spend the next five weeks completely immobilised, followed by four months of rehabilitation and physical preparation before stepping up to the 250cc in 2004 as planned.

The season began with a huge shock as Dani took victory in South Africa, becoming the youngest ever debutant to win a 250cc Grand Prix. The remainder of the season was just as spectacular, with Alberto Puig’s protégé making consistency his most dangerous weapon as he stormed to seven victories, thirteen podiums, four poles, eight fastest laps and his second consecutive World Championship title. Dani is currently the youngest 250cc World Champion in history (19 years and 18 days) and the youngest rider ever to win two titles.