Dani Pedrosa biggest threat to Valentino Rossi title hopes

Factory Honda rider Dani Pedrosa is the man most likely to end Valentino Rossi’s bid for an eighth world title in 2008.

That’s the view of Rossi’s Fiat Yamaha crew chief Jerry Burgess, who reckons Casey Stoner and Jorge Lorenzo face a mountain to climb to force themselves back into the title hunt.

Pedrosa’s crushing victory in Barcelona earlier this month saw him claw Rossi’s points lead back to just seven going into this weekend’s British MotoGP at Donington Park.

With reigning world champion Stoner 50-points adrift in fourth and Lorenzo 48 points back after he failed to score in Mugello and Catalunya, Burgess said: “We are not half way yet but because of circumstances if you look at the numbers that the guys in third and fourth have, it’s a more difficult job to get up to the two guys in front who are separated by hardly any points.

“As Casey has said, as long as Dani and Valentino keep finishing in front of him, he has to finish in front to reduce that point’s margin.

“And Casey has a long way to come from a non-points ride in Le Mans and a bad result in Jerez. It is going to be an interesting battle with Dani and Valentino and for the rest of the year and an interesting battle between Casey and Jorge. If anything goes wrong up front they are not that far out of it.”

In the opening seven races, Pedrosa has beaten Rossi four times even though the Spaniard in behind in the championship, and Burgess added: “Valentino has won three and Dani two and we have the bigger points and hopefully the work over the last few races will hold us in stead for the next races.

“We struggled at the first couple of races but we knew why and then moved in the right direction. Valentino moved through the field in Barcelona and everyone that he passed got a riding lesson.

“When we got to Casey, by then Dani had a comfortable gap so we had to get as much as we could without risk. It looks at the moment that the title is now between two, but you can’t rule anybody out of it.”