MotoGP – Sepang Test Day 3 – Stoner: "We couldn't have started 2008 better"

And to think that, according to some, it shouldn't even have been at Sepang. Casey Stoner closed the three-day test in Malaysia with the second overall time (2'00"660, behind only Nicky Hayden) and the best references on race pace, closing a clearly favorable balance sheet for himself and for Ducati . The World Champion, however, is convinced that he would have been able to go even further down his benchmarks with Bridgestone qualifying tyres: his next limit is even under 2 minutes...

“We couldn't have started the year better!”, confides Casey Stoner. “My shoulder has improved day after day and now I know I can return to training in the best way. This morning we tried some qualifying already on the second outing. I made a good time, although I think that if I had tried a little later, when I was hotter, I could have gone under the 2 minute mark. In fact, at the end of the morning, with race tyres, I did 2'00.964 which is more than a second below the race track record, which I set in October. It means that we are working well and that both the bike and the tires have improved. I'm leaving Sepang really happy, both because the injured shoulder hasn't caused me too many problems, and because I feel more competitive than last year. Now we continue to focus on this season to start it in the best possible way and I can't wait to go and test at Philip Island. Best wishes to Dani! I'm sure this injury won't affect him too much. In 2006 I also missed almost all the winter tests but at the beginning of the season I was still competitive. I'm sure it will be the same for him too, who was doing very well here."