Chief Satoru Horike of Honda Racing Corporation, 21-year old Dani Pedrosa will still be racing in Repsol colours next year.

A last-minute decision was made by Horike to fly to Assen for the Dutch TT in a bid to convince the Spaniard racer, who is out of contract at the end of the year, to make a contract on a new deal.

The factory team's failure to win a race since Nicky Hayden succeeded in the USA 12 months ago had led Pedrosa last week to say to the public that he was open to offers from rival squads for 2008.

Horike told MCN that he can understand what Dani wants to say but the chief believes that they we can make a contract soon and that he will stay.

Pedrosa is in the third spot in the world championship. He achieved such triumph after finishing on the podium four times so far this year but is 66 points (the equivalent of two wins and a third place) adrift of leader Casey Stoner, his main competitor when the pair raced 250s in 2005.

The two-time race winner has been rumored with a move to Suzuki next year but has denied that any talks have taken place with the team.

Grand Prix motorcycle racer Daniel "Dani" Pedrosa was born September 29, 1985 in Sabadell, Spain, and is the youngest world champion in 125cc and 250cc Grands Prix. He grew up in a village near Sabadell called Castellar del Vallès. Pedrosa stands 5 feet and 2 inches tall and weighs 51kg (112.4lbs).

Honda Racing

Aside from building quality car parts such as Honda Del Sol parts, Japan’s second largest automaker is also into racing.

Honda entered Formula One as a constructor for the first time in the 1964 season at the German Grand Prix with Ronnie Bucknum at the wheel. The year 1965 was the addition of Richie Ginther to the team who scored Honda's first point at the Belgian Grand Prix. It was also the year when Honda had its first win at the Mexican Grand Prix. Their next win at the Italian Grand Prix with John Surtees as their driver was in 1967.

Unfortunately, in 1968, Jo Schlesser was killed in a Honda RA302 at the French Grand Prix. This racing tragedy plus the company’s commercial difficulties of selling automobiles in the United States prompted Honda to withdraw from all international motorsport that year.