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Super Stoner seizes glory
From correspondents in Doha, Qatar
March 11, 2007
AUSTRALIA'S Casey Stoner has upstaged former world champion Valentino Rossi to take the first win of his MotoGP career in the season-opener.
The 21-year-old Ducati rider, starting alongside polesetter Rossi, seized the lead at the end of the first lap and smashed the race lap record on his way to becoming the first winner on an 800cc machine.
Although the Italian passed him twice, Stoner used the Ducati's impressive power advantage at the Losail circuit to take the chequered flag with a 2.8sec advantage.
"The team's been working great," said Stoner, who made his MotoGp debut only last year.
"We struggled in a few parts of the track during the race where Valentino was a bit quicker but I just used what we had to our advantage.
"I think I did my fastest lap on the last lap so we were there, we had it."
Stoner said the pressure of having Rossi, the greatest rider of his era, breathing down his neck for lap after lap was no different to any other race.
"I had Marco (Melandri) pass me last year in Turkey going into the last couple of corners," said the Aussie, who started on pole here last year.
"It doesn't matter who is behind you, if they are capable of going that quick they are capable of passing you and capable of winning."
But Stoner warned he won't get carried away by seeing off Rossi. "I'm really happy with the way things are going and I think we will get strong and stronger,'' he said.
"I'm leading the championship which feels a little strange, but it's only the first race of a very, very long year.
"You can't dream of a better start for my new team Ducati and Bridgestone, it's a perfect start. The team worked to perfection, the bike and the tyres were perfect.
"I had a more powerful bike (than Rossi's Yamaha) and I pushed it to the maximum, clocking some really fast laps. The bike had everything."
It was also reward for the hardships of his teens when, as a 14-year-old, he emigrated to England to build a career before moving into the 125cc category of the world championship.
"We only made a couple of little changes," he said reflecting on the changes to his machine.
"We mainly had to make the right tyre choice and it was obviously right because in the race I kept a nice consistent pace and everything went really well.
"We had a bit of a speed advantage and though we had some dramas in other parts of the track I played to the strengths of the bike and was able to do some pretty fast lap times.
"We struggled in a few parts of the track during the race where Valentino was a bit quicker, but I just used what we had to our advantage. I think I did my fastest lap on the last lap so we were there, we had it."
Rossi, winner here for the past two years and starting on pole position on a much-improved Yamaha, said he had done the best he could.
"Compared to first race of the last season, this is a good result. I am happy. There is not much difference between the two bikes (Ducati and Yamaha) but Casey rode a perfect race and I had no chance," he said.
Honda's Spanish title contender, Dani Pedrosa, won a close battle for third place with Suzuki's American, John Hopkins, who injured his hand in pre-season testing and ended the race grimacing with pain after a brave ride.
Pedrosa, aged 21 years and 162 days, became the youngest rider to chalk up 50 grand prix podium finishes.
The Spaniard's teammate and defending champion, Nicky Hayden, started ninth and eighth after a brief tussle with Suzuki's Australian, Chris Vermuelen.
Three riders crashed out early in the race. Ducati's Loris Capirossi slid off the track in the seventh lap while Honda's veteran Spaniard, Carlos Checa, and Kawasaki's Randy De Puniet went out in the eighth.
Ilmor, MotoGP's newest team, struggled, with Australia's Andrew Pitt retiring in the pits and Briton Jeremy McWilliams failing to start after crashing in qualifying.
The race was the first since engine capacity was reduced from 990cc to 800.
Reuters
http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,21361678-23770,00.html
From correspondents in Doha, Qatar
March 11, 2007
AUSTRALIA'S Casey Stoner has upstaged former world champion Valentino Rossi to take the first win of his MotoGP career in the season-opener.
The 21-year-old Ducati rider, starting alongside polesetter Rossi, seized the lead at the end of the first lap and smashed the race lap record on his way to becoming the first winner on an 800cc machine.
Although the Italian passed him twice, Stoner used the Ducati's impressive power advantage at the Losail circuit to take the chequered flag with a 2.8sec advantage.
"The team's been working great," said Stoner, who made his MotoGp debut only last year.
"We struggled in a few parts of the track during the race where Valentino was a bit quicker but I just used what we had to our advantage.
"I think I did my fastest lap on the last lap so we were there, we had it."
Stoner said the pressure of having Rossi, the greatest rider of his era, breathing down his neck for lap after lap was no different to any other race.
"I had Marco (Melandri) pass me last year in Turkey going into the last couple of corners," said the Aussie, who started on pole here last year.
"It doesn't matter who is behind you, if they are capable of going that quick they are capable of passing you and capable of winning."
But Stoner warned he won't get carried away by seeing off Rossi. "I'm really happy with the way things are going and I think we will get strong and stronger,'' he said.
"I'm leading the championship which feels a little strange, but it's only the first race of a very, very long year.
"You can't dream of a better start for my new team Ducati and Bridgestone, it's a perfect start. The team worked to perfection, the bike and the tyres were perfect.
"I had a more powerful bike (than Rossi's Yamaha) and I pushed it to the maximum, clocking some really fast laps. The bike had everything."
It was also reward for the hardships of his teens when, as a 14-year-old, he emigrated to England to build a career before moving into the 125cc category of the world championship.
"We only made a couple of little changes," he said reflecting on the changes to his machine.
"We mainly had to make the right tyre choice and it was obviously right because in the race I kept a nice consistent pace and everything went really well.
"We had a bit of a speed advantage and though we had some dramas in other parts of the track I played to the strengths of the bike and was able to do some pretty fast lap times.
"We struggled in a few parts of the track during the race where Valentino was a bit quicker, but I just used what we had to our advantage. I think I did my fastest lap on the last lap so we were there, we had it."
Rossi, winner here for the past two years and starting on pole position on a much-improved Yamaha, said he had done the best he could.
"Compared to first race of the last season, this is a good result. I am happy. There is not much difference between the two bikes (Ducati and Yamaha) but Casey rode a perfect race and I had no chance," he said.
Honda's Spanish title contender, Dani Pedrosa, won a close battle for third place with Suzuki's American, John Hopkins, who injured his hand in pre-season testing and ended the race grimacing with pain after a brave ride.
Pedrosa, aged 21 years and 162 days, became the youngest rider to chalk up 50 grand prix podium finishes.
The Spaniard's teammate and defending champion, Nicky Hayden, started ninth and eighth after a brief tussle with Suzuki's Australian, Chris Vermuelen.
Three riders crashed out early in the race. Ducati's Loris Capirossi slid off the track in the seventh lap while Honda's veteran Spaniard, Carlos Checa, and Kawasaki's Randy De Puniet went out in the eighth.
Ilmor, MotoGP's newest team, struggled, with Australia's Andrew Pitt retiring in the pits and Briton Jeremy McWilliams failing to start after crashing in qualifying.
The race was the first since engine capacity was reduced from 990cc to 800.
Reuters
http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,21361678-23770,00.html
