Repsol Honda's Dani Pedrosa has confirmed he will be able to race at this weekend's MotoGP season opener at Qatar but warned he will not be 100 per cent fit and is only looking to grab a handful of points.
The diminutive Spaniard injured his knee in a big highside at the desert track during pre-season testing. He missed the official Jerez test but now says he has recovered enough to go racing.
"When the practice was held in Jerez I could only bend the knee 90º. But over the last ten days it has been getting better and in the end, making use of the time right up to the last moment, we have decided to go to Qatar and race in the first round of the 2009 World Championship," he said.
"I am pleased that I can return to racing this weekend, but I have to tell you that I am not 100% fit, so I am well aware that I will be at a disadvantage in Qatar. Doctor Ferreira & Doctor Mir have done some great work on my knee and arm, but the time we had for my recovery, especially for my knee, was quite short.
"Even though I have made good use of the last two weeks and we have made good progress, I am aware that in Qatar I will only be able to win a few points, but points which at the end of the season could be very valuable. The overriding reason being not to begin the second race of the season with a gap of 25 points to make up on my rivals."
