Assen MotoGP: Dani Pedrosa happy with second place

Repsol Honda rider Dani Pedrosa declared himself satisfied with second on the grid for tomorrow’s Dutch MotoGP in Assen.

The Spaniard logged a best time of 1.35.552 to finish just 0.032secs behind dominant Aussie Casey Stoner and he said: “My last lap was good because I improved a lot from the previous best one.

“It is the first time I am on the front row in MotoGP at Assen for the first time, and being that is very important. The first part of the track is very tight, so it is really important to start from the front row here.

“Casey will try to escape from the pack at the start, which means it will be crucial to get a good start and try to stay in contact. We still have some improvements to make.

“This is a very complex track for set-up and we need to try some small changes to help make me feel at ease on the bike because the pace is going to be very fast tomorrow.

“Once again the weather has played a part, this morning’s rain meant that we couldn’t do any proper work with slicks, so we aren’t yet 100 per cent sure about our race tyre choice. If it rains again tomorrow, the race will be more complicated.”