MotoGP – Valencia – Casey Stoner: "Today we couldn't have asked for more"

Casey Stoner ended the 2008 season on a high note, a season which did not earn him the reconfirmation of the title that went to Valentino Rossi but which still gave him great satisfaction and a second place in the world championship standings. Today in Valencia the Australian got off to a good start right from the start and headed towards his sixth victory of the season. Now the 2007 world champion will test the new Ducati Desmosedici GP9 tomorrow and the day after and then undergo surgery on the scaphoid which has bothered him so much this year. Here is the Stoner-thought.

“Today we couldn't have asked for more. Ending a difficult season like this is a fantastic thing and a nice way to thank everyone at Ducati for the great work they have done. Once again my team made the right choices, finding a good set-up despite the very little time available on a dry track. To be honest, during qualifying I was worried because I didn't have a good feeling at all but, when we put on slightly softer tyres, the situation improved. The boys then performed another miracle between Saturday and Sunday, and also after the warm-up, to sort out the final details. Before entering the track for the race there were still a few question marks and so being able to lap quickly straight away was a great feeling. I can't wait to get back on track tomorrow to try the new bike. The only time I drove it I got an excellent impression of it and I'm sure they managed to improve it further. We hope to have two days of positive tests and then face the next few months full of optimism for the next season.”