Dani Pedrosa names the MotoGP legend Marc Marquez is most similar to

Three-time MotoGP championship runner-up Dani Pedrosa says Marc Marquez is most similar to Casey Stoner having seen “things I wasn’t capable of doing” in both.

Despite never winning a premier class title to add to his two 250cc and one 125cc championships, Dani Pedrosa is revered as one of the best of the modern era.

Winning 31 premier class grands prix and narrowly missing crowns on three occasions, the Spaniard went toe-to-toe with the likes of Casey Stoner, Jorge Lorenzo, Valentino Rossi and Marc Marquez during a glittering career.

The current KTM test rider made a recent appearance on Andrea Migno’s podcast and was asked about the modern day legends he raced against.

He identified Stoner’s ability to instantly adapt to conditions as something that set him apart from the likes of Rossi and Lorenzo, and sees Marquez as having similar qualities.

“I used to see Vale or Lorenzo riding and say ‘wow!’,” began Pedrosa, who served as team-mate to Stoner and Marquez at Honda between 2011 and 2018.

“But there wasn’t anything I thought I couldn’t do; maybe not always, because that wasn’t my strong suit.

“But I did see myself capable. With Stoner, I saw things I wasn’t capable of doing.

“Casey would go out onto the track, practically without knowing whether the circuit turned right or left, with cold tyres and no set-up, and he was already flying on the first lap.

“Marc is capable of seeing the kind of things I saw in Stoner, and doing them.

“He has the ability to improve in those specific aspects without it penalising him in the areas that are his strengths.”

Ahead of Marquez's 2013 MotoGP debut, Honda did plan to pair him with Stoner at the factory squad before the Australian elected to retire at the end of 2012.

Marc Marquez stands on the edge of winning a ninth grand prix world title and seventh in the premier class this weekend at the Japanese Grand Prix.

Having already amassed a championship lead of 182 points through 11 grand prix wins and 14 sprint victories, the factory Ducati rider needs just three points over Alex Marquez by the end of the Motegi weekend to secure the title.

A grand prix win this weekend would also lift Marquez onto a century across all classes, putting him just 15 away from Valentino Rossi.