Dani Pedrosa’s ideal formations for the 2009 MotoGP World Championship were disrupted dramatically when he smashed out in the night testing done in Qatar in March, causing injuries to his left knee and wrist, surgery was needed a month prior to round one.

Coming back to the Losail International Circuit not as fit as he would have hoped for the Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar in April, Pedrosa was only able to manage 11th in the event resulting from a ‘coming together’ with Alex de Angelis, who qualified in 14th position.

The Catalan competitor was back in fine form in Japan at round two, though still not 100%, he took his RC212V over the line in third spot even though he began 11th on the grid.

Further results at home saw Pedrosa build on his Japanese stage appearance a week later at Jerez, where he claimed the lead for 17 laps, finally ending second.  In a difficult wet-dry event at Le Mans, Pedrosa held off colleague Andrea Dovizioso in the final laps for third spot and another successive podium.

Pedrosa then moved in a downward spiral when he smashed out at Mugello, damaging his hip in practice, but raced through the agony at home in Barcelona to place sixth, then crashing out again early at Assen. By this time he had dropped to fifth in the overall rankings.

Pedrosa responded with force after this with his first win in over a year at the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix.

Germany two weeks later saw him on the stage for the fifth time this season, he could not maintain the pace with Fiat Yamaha duo Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo, who both stay well ahead of him in the rankings. Pedrosa challenged Stoner for third place in that event, a fight he chased as illness took a toll for Stoner.

Though Pedrosa earned points on Stoner in the Aussie’s final event to date this season at the British Grand Prix, when Ducati had their wheel choices wrong, the Repsol Honda racer could only manage to place ninth on the slippery circuit at Donington. The event also gained a sole ever MotoGP win for Pedrosa’s team-mate Dovizioso and a first stage apperance of the season for Colin Edwards, both competitors closed in at the rankings.

Pedrosa’s inconsistency has carried on in the prior three events, however he gained two stage appearances at Brno and Misano, ending in a disappointing tenth spot at Indianapolis where he smashed on the fourth lap after leading a competition where he begain on pole, making him scrap for as many points as acheivable.

Stoner’s absence has given Pedrosa a move up to third overall, only seven points separate the duo as the Aussie arrives back to the circuit at Estoril to challenge with the Spaniard for the final four rounds.

The last Grand Prix at Misano also gave Pedrosa a signing with Repsol Honda for next year, meaning he will compete alongside Dovizioso on a factory RC212V again in 2010.