HRC boss Shuhei Nakamoto believes that if Dani Pedrosa doesn't win the MotoGP world title in 2013, he may never do it but tempered that by saying that ifhe does, it could be the start of a long winning streak.

Pedrosa won more races than eventual 2012 champion Jorge Lorenzo but was off the podium a lot more. The tiny Spaniard also had to deal with a number of changes imposed on the teams pre and mid-season which upset the RC213V but come the halfway point, was almost unstoppable.

"I think if he doesn’t take the title next year, he probably never will, but if he does then it’s quite possible he’ll go on to be champion several times. Dani used to be known for always winning two races each season, but in 2011, he took four, and then last season he managed seven wins. In the first half of last season, he was having a hard time with the bike as we struggled to fix the balance after the new weight rules, and then the tire change," said Nakamoto.

"But once we introduced the new bike, he just kept getting better and better. At the Czech GP he fought a tremendous battle with Jorge, overtaking then being overtaken, until finally Dani crossed the line ahead. I don’t think he has had a race like that since his days in 125cc, so I think that marked a new stage for him. He turned in a superb performance at the final GP in Valencia too, under conditions so bad that the only dry part of the track was on the line itself. He astonished everyone with the sp eeds he was getting there - it really sometimes looked as if the other riders were just standing still.

"Our new machine has much improved braking and cornering, and getting his hands on such a good bike seems to have filled Dani with fresh confidence. To me, Dani appears to have an extra sense other riders don’t - he can spot the smallest things, things that others never feel. He will quickly become aware of subtle changes, for example when the track surface starts to lose grip.

"The minus side to this is that it can make his riding over cautious, but this year he overcame that tendency and got it just right. He’s beaten his big rival one on one, ridden through the rain to win at Malaysia, managed to keep his speed high even in wet conditions, which were previously his weak point. There’s no question about it - Dani has progressed to another level and is now a very strong competitor. I’m so confident that he will take the title next year, I can’t really imagine not seeing him on that podium."