Daniel Pedrosa became 250cc World Champion at Phillip Island for the second consecutive season to seal his third straight title in just five seasons. This latest success makes the Movistar rider the youngest triple-World Champion in history, having recently celebrated his 20th birthday, and the first rider to successfully defend the quarter-litre title since Max Biaggi in 1997.
Dani, who also handed Honda their 600th Grand Prix victory, confirmed his position as the number one rider in the category and completed his objective of successfully defending the number one plate, an opportunity denied to him in 2003 when he stepped up from the 125cc category.
Alberto Puig’s protégé has also become the rider with most victories under the age of 20 in history, he has beaten Àlex Crivillé’s win total and become the third most successful Spanish rider in history behind Ángel Nieto and Jorge Martínez Aspar.
MotoGP through the front door
Dani Pedrosa will enter the MotoGP category in 2006 through the front door, with three World Championships behind him confirming his extraordinary quality as a rider and allowing Telefónica Movistar to see through their main objective when they began supporting top-level motorcycle racing in 1999. Their aim, of course, was to create a World Champion and carry him all the way to MotoGP.
KEY FACTS
- 2003: 125cc World Champion. (Malaysia):
* Youngest ever World Champion in Spanish motorcycling history and second youngest of all-time at 18 years and 16 days.
- 2004: 250cc World Champion (Australia):
* Youngest ever 250cc World Champion at 19 years and 18 days.
* Youngest ever double World Champion.
* Youngest ever winner of a 250cc Grand Prix (South Africa)
* Youngest ever winner of a Grand Prix in two different classes (South Africa)
* Victory in South Africa also made him the first 125cc World Champion to win the opening race of a 250cc season since Bill Ivy in 1968.
* First rider to win the 125cc and 250cc titles in consecutive seasons since Carlo Ubbiali 1960, some 44 years ago.
- 2005: 250cc World Champion (Australia):
* Youngest triple World Champion in history.
* First rider to successfully defend the 250cc World Championship since Max Biaggi in 1997.
* His victory at the Italian Grand Prix makes him the most successful rider under the age of 20, with 18 wins. He would add another three before celebrating his birthday.
* He has passed Àlex Crivillé’s Àlex Crivillé’s win total and become the third most successful Spanish rider in history behind Ángel Nieto (90) and Jorge Martínez Aspar (34).