KTM wildcard Dani Pedrosa had a dramatic return to racing at the Red Bull Ring, completing the StyrianGP in the top-10 despite suffering a fiery turn three crash in as many laps.

Pedrosa went down on the exit of the infamous corner with Aprilia’s Lorenzo Savadori unable to avoid the stricken RC-16 on his arrival, the impact set the two machines ablaze with a red flag and considerable delay required to resolve the situation.

Savadori sustained a fractured ankle in the incident and was immediately transferred to the medical centre but the Spaniard was cleared to continue. Collecting his second KTM - after his mechanics has made the necessary alterations - he set about a tentative but ultimately rewarding 27-laps, completing the rollercoaster return in 10th place, 19-seconds from the win.

“A rough start in the first race because I don't know why I had this crash,” Pedrosa said from the team’s home paddock.

“Maybe I touched the inside line, or maybe the tyre was still too cold on the right side - I was using the hard compound on the front - with these colder conditions today, but I don't know why. I went in the turn when I was at maximum angle, and then I just tried to pick up the bike out of the turn and the bike didn't pick up and I stay on the floor and I spun in the middle of the track. Unfortunately, Savadori hit my bike and he's hurt, so I'm sorry for him but I was very lucky.

“I don't think I had this situation before in my career, so it was a little bit of shock, seeing all the bikes passing by one side and the other. Fortunately, it was all good for me.

“In the first start I was very focused, but in the second start, after the crash and changing the bike from wet to dry - the second bike was ready for wet, so I changed the bike. We’d also had some issues in the weekend, with the bikes. One engine was working one way and the second engine was working differently because we had a problem on Friday in one engine, so the bikes weren't exactly the same. My preferred bike was the one I crashed with so I had to take the spare bike, I just have to thank the mechanics because they worked very good to prepare the bike.

“I said to myself, 'Okay, I go to the race, but I will take it easy at the beginning, and then after, see how it goes'. So imagine I wasn't really, really focused or concentrating in the very beginning. I didn't have any doubts of going out, I was a little bit shocked, let's say, and a little bit more cautious, especially at the start of the race.

“When I went to the grid I just even forgot to put the start device, the launch, so I start not well. In the first couple of laps I lost positions and I wasn't too concerned about that in the moment, I just wanted to go. Then the middle of the race I get some pace and I was stable on that pace.

“The tyres were really not having any good feeling. Comparing practice to race was a whole different thing on the tyres, and it was really difficult to stay on the bike so it was easy to crash, I felt. I just kept my pace, I was battling with a few riders. One crash here, one penalty there, mistakes, and like this I was recovering some positions and at the end I was catching the group in front, led by the Marquez brothers and Bagnaia. I don't know if I could pass them if I catch finally but I was closing on them. So my pace on the race was good and I'm satisfied about the weekend. We learnt more or less what we expected plus some surprise, and I think was a positive thing for KTM. I want to thank KTM and my test team for their effort.

“I don't think we can make anything better from here to the next wildcard date that we have,” Pedrosa explained when discussing the possibility of another wildcard in a few days time.

“It's interesting when, okay, I've seen this and then I can change that, and then go again but I don't think in the meantime we have time to make anything different, it would be just the same. So, I'm satisfied. I'm happy and I'm okay with one. I enjoy.

“I have fun all the weekend, I am super satisfied with how it went all weekend. I even think that if it might click a little more here and there, like for example FP3. If I would go in Q2 directly, maybe I would be one row or two rows more in front, that would change also the whole picture. It could be even better, but not complaining, I'm okay.”