Dani Pedrosa says he and Jorge Lorenzo quietly teamed up to take on Casey Stoner

Photo by Mirco Lazzari gp/Getty Images

Dani Pedrosa says he and Jorge Lorenzo quietly teamed up to take on Casey Stoner

Originally posted on HITC | By Kyle Archer | Last updated May 6, 2026 9:51 AM ET

How Stoner’s Arrival Shifted the Pedrosa-Lorenzo Dynamic in MotoGP

Dani Pedrosa has explained how Casey Stoner’s rise in MotoGP reshaped his ongoing rivalry with Jorge Lorenzo, giving them both a new focus.

Pedrosa admits that his relationship with Lorenzo was always very “complicated” during the early phases of their respective careers, given that the Spaniards had been rivals since their youth. But Stoner emerging on the scene then gave Pedrosa and Lorenzo a “common rival”.

Lorenzo, Pedrosa and Stoner ultimately became two of the famous five ‘aliens’ of MotoGP in the late 2000s and early 2010s with Valentino Rossi and Marc Marquez. They were a tour de force that dominated MotoGP, having been a cut above everyone else on the grid each year.

Stoner joined LCR Honda for his debut season while Pedrosa stepped up to Honda’s main team after consecutive titles in the 250cc class. Lorenzo didn’t make his premier class debut until 2008, when he signed with Yamaha’s factory team.

Casey Stoner’s rise to the top in MotoGP gave Pedrosa and Lorenzo a “common rival”

Photo by Mirco Lazzari gp/Getty Images

During his racing days, Pedrosa often got under Stoner’s skin with how he used the rear brake, especially at tracks like Lusail in Qatar. On the flip side, Stoner admitted he “could not” match Lorenzo’s consistency, noting that the Spaniard was exceptional at finding the limit and staying there.

Lorenzo also spoke highly of Stoner and Pedrosa’s natural instincts on track, calling them two of the most instinctive riders he ever competed against. Despite this mutual respect, their rivalry still pushed both men to find common ground when it came to facing Stoner.

Speaking on the Fast & Curious podcast, Pedrosa explained: “With Jorge? Well, it’s very different, complicated isn’t it? Very different because we have very different personalities. We’ve been that way since we were little.”

“It’s like you identify with one side or the other,” said Pedrosa. “So those opposites were something that were very much alive for many years until I think there came a moment when we had a common rival which was Stoner.”

“The way he pushed me and how I had to push back – it made us better,” said Pedrosa. “We ended up doing things we might not have wanted to do otherwise because you’re forced into action by what your opponent is doing.”

Stoner got ahead early by winning the 2007 title after moving to Ducati while Pedrosa had already taken two 250cc titles by then as well as a 125cc title from 2003.

Lorenzo later claimed another crown in 2015 but while Pedrosa had three silver medals plus bronze finishes in ’08 ’09 and ’13 he never managed to secure a MotoGP championship during his career.

This article first appeared on HITC and was syndicated with permission.

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