Courtesy of the GPOne.com YouTube page, we have a full interview of Casey Stoner after his first day aboard the Ducati GP15 at Sepang yesterday. This is a very interesting interview, which you should definitely take the time to watch. An additional video clip includes a brief meeting, and conversation, between Stoner and Ducati Factory rider Andrea Ianonne in the Ducati paddock.
News outlets are reporting Stoner, who hasn’t taken a single lap on a MotoGP bike in over a year, and last rode any street bike more than 6 months ago when he crashed heavily at Suzuka on a Honda superbike, got his lap time down to within 1.5 seconds of the fastest race lap at Sepang last year. Whether Stoner will race any wildcard rounds this year remains to be seen, but it is expected he will be on track with the rest of the MotoGP regulars at the official Sepang test next week. Should be interesting.
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I think I read somewhere that his lap times at Sepang put him ninth quickest. That’s astounding.
It is such a shame he’s not on the GP stage with the other top riders. A huge shame. Such talent and speed. One can only hope for a miracle.
Honestly…
To be honest…
Quite honestly…
and let’s not forget the always entertaining “…and like I said,”
The front, the front, the front. Once they get a handle on the Michelins and get good feeling in the front the lap records will tumble. This interview is the most open I’ve ever heard from Casey. He’s really itching (his chest a lot) to race again.
re: “you should definitely take the time to watch”
oh I will pal…!!!
Great debrief from Casey. I just wish he was competing this year…
I’m sure he would ride for Ducati if they told him he could race and not do interviews or any press…
Glad he’s with Ducati instead of Honda. The more input they get the better their chances. I hope they can break the Japanese monopoly this year.
Difficult, most because of the riders, not the machine.
The top 4 are very strong…
There are several riders in MotoGP who’ve beaten Marquez in Moto2, some several times. It’s the machines.
Several several times ? Maybe in your dreams. Go check the results. MM totally controlled the class after the 1st half of 2011. Poncharal said recently the differences of his bikes and the oficial last year were minimal. Valentino’s setup was given to his riders but they said it was impossible to ride. I remember Checa and Melandri saying the same when Vale moved to Yamaha. And Kocinsky talking about Rainey, same thing. And also in F1 Mansell when in Ferrari using Prost’s setup. Without a good bike it’s impossible to win, everybody knows that, but Ducati does not have a rider to win over that 4 with bikes of similar performance. Actually they have but he is just a tester..