Exclusive video interview with Casey Stoner on the 2009
Australian GP
Race Weekend. By Shell Motorsport,
used with permission.
Third Time in a Row for
Stoner
October 18, 2009 - Ducati Marlboro Team rider Casey
Stoner rode like a man possessed today and took his
third victory in as many seasons at Phillip Island,
rubber-stamping his return to form and fitness with a
dominant display from pole position.
After briefly conceding the lead to Dani Pedrosa in
the first turn, Stoner muscled his way past the Spaniard
on the opening lap and never looked back, holding off
the strong challenge of Valentino Rossi in the second
half of the race to put his Desmosedici GP9 on the top
step of the podium for the first time since the Italian
Grand Prix in June.
Stoner’s victory, in front of 50,094 delighted home
fans, also lifted him back up to third in the
championship standings with two rounds remaining.
The flip side of the coin today was for the
unfortunate Nicky Hayden, who for the third time this
season had his race ruined when another rider collided
with him in the first lap.
The American was forced off track after an impact
with Jorge Lorenzo, but he did a remarkable job to stay
upright across the wet grass and return to the track to
eventually pick up a point in 15th place.
Casey Stoner (Ducati Marlboro Team) (1st):
"I’d forgotten how good that winning feeling is and
of all my victories this is perhaps the most special.
I can honestly say that from a physical perspective I
can’t ever remember feeling this strong after a race,
which shows that the work we have done and the time we
took out has been spot on.
I got a good start and was able to put together the
lap times to keep us at the front but quite honestly I
felt I could have gone even faster if we’d have been
able to find a little more rear traction over the course
of the weekend.
Anyway, I can’t complain because the work the guys
have done on the bike during the season has been
phenomenal, from the swingarm to the new fairing… they
just haven’t stopped trying to make it better even when
I wasn’t around.
Now my aim is to help them as much as I can over the
last two races and give Filippo (Preziosi) as much
useful data as I can so that he can work his magic and
improve the bike even more for next year.”
Lorenzo Crashes; Rossi
Takes Championship Lead
Fiat Yamaha rider
Valentino Rossi finished a strong second in an
entertaining Australian Grand Prix, chasing home Casey
Stoner to finish on the podium for the tenth successive
year at Phillip Island and for the eleventh time this
season.
Jorge Lorenzo's challenge ended in the gravel
trap at turn one, when a mistake at the start saw the
Mallorcan slide out of the race. Rossi, starting from
the front row for the tenth race in a row, finished the
first lap in third position, behind Dani Pedrosa and
Stoner.
On lap two both Stoner and Rossi passed the
Spaniard and then quickly began to pull away on their
own, quickly opening out a gap from the chasing pack.
Darkening skies overhead at that point meant there was a
rush in pit lane as the mechanics switched the spare
bikes over to wet settings, but the sun eventually came
out and the threat of rain subsided as the Italian and
the Australian set in for a head-to-head battle.
At
times Rossi looked to be within striking distance and he
made a couple of moves at mid-race distance, but with
Lorenzo out he knew that he had to capitalize and he
eventually played it safe to come home behind the
resurgent Stoner with twenty important points in his
pocket and an impressive gap of over twenty seconds to
Pedrosa in third.
Lorenzo had struggled with grip issues all weekend here
and he made a mistake at the start, braking too late and
cannoning into the back of Nicky Hayden.
The impact
damaged his front brake and he was unable to slow down
for the corner, losing the rear and tumbling into the
gravel trap. He was taken to the Clinica Mobile and
treated for mild cuts to his nose and the little finger
of his right hand, but there were no serious injuries
and nothing that will affect his being able to ride next
week.
Today's result means that Rossi now has a lead over
Lorenzo of 38 points with two races left. He will have
his first chance to clinch the World Championship title
at the next round, which comes at Sepang in Malaysia in
one week's time.
Valentino Rossi - Position: 2nd - Time: +1.935:
"This was one of the most fun and definitely one of the
most important second places of my career!
We were on
the limit for the whole race and there were some amazing
slides, it was 'old-style' racing. To have a race like
this in the sunshine at Phillip Island is an incredible
emotion and I really enjoyed myself.
Of course I wanted
to win but I had to use my head a bit and once I'd seen
that Lorenzo was out, I knew that if I made a mistake it
would be a big disaster!
Anyway I tried in places but
Stoner was a bit faster than me. I didn't give up until
the end but Casey really deserved this win; I want to
give him my congratulations.
We leave with twenty
important points and now the championship lead is big
and we can try to finish it in Malaysia, where we will
have the first 'match point'."
2009 MotoGP Australia - Phillip Island
- Race Results Oct. 18, 2009
Circuit Length: 4445.
Weather: Dry
Lap Record: 1'30.332 (Marco Melandri, 01/01/2005)
Fastest Lap Ever: 1'28.665 (Casey Stoner, 05/10/2008)
Last Year's Winner: Casey Stoner
Race Results - 27 Laps
1 Casey Stoner Ducati AUS 40'56.651
2 Valentino Rossi Yamaha ITA 0'01.935
3 Daniel Pedrosa Honda ESP 0'22.618
4 Alex De Angelis Honda SMR 0'32.702
5 Colin Edwards Yamaha USA 0'35.885
6 Andrea Dovizioso Honda ITA 0'38.482
7 Marco Melandri Kawasaki ITA 0'44.461
8 Randy De Puniet Honda FRA 0'44.941
9 Mika Kallio Ducati FIN 0'54.345
10 Toni Elias Honda ESP 1'01.205
11 Chris Vermeulen Suzuki AUS 1'05.417
12 Loris Capirossi Suzuki ITA 1'05.950
13 Gabor Talmacsi Honda HUN 1'17.951
14 James Toseland Yamaha GBR 1'17.985
15 Nicky Hayden Ducati USA -1Laps
Rider Standings as of Oct. 18, 2009
1. Valentino Rossi Yamaha ITA 270
2. Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha ESP 232
3. Casey Stoner Ducati AUS 195
4. Daniel Pedrosa Honda ESP 189
5. Andrea Dovizioso Honda ITA 152
6. Colin Edwards Yamaha USA 145
7. Alex De Angelis Honda SMR 101
8. Randy De Puniet Honda FRA 101
9. Loris Capirossi Suzuki ITA 101
10. Marco Melandri Kawasaki ITA 100
11. Toni Elias Honda ESP 96
12. Chris Vermeulen Suzuki AUS 95
13. James Toseland Yamaha GBR 87
14. Nicky Hayden Ducati USA 82
15. Mika Kallio Ducati FIN 58
Manufacturer Standings as of Oct. 18, 2009
1. Yamaha 350
2. Honda 252
3. Ducati 236
4. Suzuki 131
5. Kawasaki 100
Stoner on Fire!
2009 MotoGP
Championship - Phillip Island,
Australia Qualifying Photos and text courtesy BMW Motorrad, Ducati Corse,
Honda Racing,
Suzuki Racing, Yamaha Racing.
Edited by webBikeWorld.
Casey Stoner is first on the grid for the Phillip
Island race, round 15 of the 2009 MotoGP Championship.
Valentino Rossi needs help; he'll start his Phillip
Island assault from second on the grid after sealing his
twelfth front-row start of the season in Australia.
And Jorge Lorenzo, who was still feeling under the
weather following yesterday's upset stomach, missed out
on the front row by just 0.001 seconds, the first time
he has been out of the top three this season.
Qualifying morning's practice was interrupted by
rain, which allowed the riders a quick chance to check
their wet-weather settings in case of more rain on
Sunday.
By the afternoon the weather had cleared up and
qualifying was run in the dry, albeit with grey skies
and a cold wind.
Rossi spent most of the hour-long session a few
tenths off Casey Stoner in second but a late setting
update gave him the extra pace to challenge the
Australian and he duly moved to the top of the time
sheets with nine minutes to go. Stoner hit back
five minutes later however and set a best time that
knocked Rossi off pole by 0.050 seconds.
2009 MotoGP Australia -
Phillip Island - Qualifying - Oct 17, 2009
Circuit Length: 4445.
Temp: 17. Weather: Dry
Lap Record:
1'30.332 (Marco Melandri, 01/01/2005)
Fastest Lap Ever:
1'28.665 (Casey Stoner, 05/10/2008)
Last Year's Winner:
Casey Stoner
Pos. Rider Manu. Nat.
Total Time
1 Casey Stoner Ducati AUS
1'30.341
2 Valentino Rossi Yamaha
ITA 1'30.391
3 Daniel Pedrosa Honda ESP
1'31.070
4 Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha ESP
1'31.071
5 Colin Edwards Yamaha USA
1'31.096
6 Alex De Angelis Honda
SMR 1'31.260
7 Nicky Hayden Ducati USA
1'31.325
8 Randy De Puniet Honda
FRA 1'31.380
9 Mika Kallio Ducati FIN
1'31.384
10 Andrea Dovizioso Honda
ITA 1'31.472
11 Toni Elias Honda ESP
1'31.640
12 James Toseland Yamaha
GBR 1'31.722
13 Loris Capirossi Suzuki
ITA 1'31.873
14 Marco Melandri Kawasaki
ITA 1'32.190
15 Chris Vermeulen Suzuki
AUS 1'32.338
Ducati In
Friendly Territory at Phillip Island
The Ducati Marlboro Team heads down under this week
to the Phillip Island circuit for Casey Stoner’s home
race, the Australian Grand Prix.
Both Stoner and his
American team-mate Nicky Hayden are huge fans of the
track, which overlooks the Bass Strait, because it is
fast, flowing and technically demanding.
Stoner has two
victories to his name there in the MotoGP class whilst
Hayden stood on the podium for the first time in his
MotoGP career back in 2003 and has done so on two
further occasions since. Hayden is also the current lap
record holder, with a time that was just 0.008 seconds
quicker than Stoner’s best effort in the same race.
Other than in 2006, when they had a best result of
fourth, the Ducati Marlboro Team have celebrated on the
podium every year they have competed at Phillip Island,
including an incredible one-two with Stoner and Loris
Capirossi in 2007.
It is therefore the ideal venue for
Stoner continue his return to full strength and for
Hayden to be back amongst the front runners.
Phillip Island Race Circuit
Phillip Island is the fastest circuit in MotoGP and one
of the most demanding on the rider, bike and tires. The
layout is flowing and riddled with elevation changes
that require precise throttle and machine control.
It is
one of the riders’ favorite circuits because, unlike
many modern tracks, Phillip Island has fast corners that
really put them to the test.
Located 130km south of
Melbourne, the island hosted a motorcycle race for the
first time in 1920, when the only way to access it was
by boat.
The original 12-mile track fell into disrepair
but it was rebuilt as a closed circuit in the '80's and
held its first Grand Prix in 1989. Its exposed location
next to the Bass Strait often makes this race a victim
to extremely changeable weather conditions.
A little-known fact about Phillip Island: It was the
race circuit used in the final scenes of the disturbing
1959 Stanley Kramer film, "On the Beach", based on the
Nevil Shute book and starring Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner,
Fred Astaire and Anthony Perkins.
Casey Stoner, Ducati (4th in the
championship on 170 points)
“I’m looking forward to Phillip Island. In Portugal I
was able to get to the end of the race weekend without
problems, just the predictable tiredness after a full
MotoGP race, following two months of inactivity. So
maybe I’ll be a bit more ready for Phillip Island now.
Besides that the temperature down there is a bit colder
than other races we go to and that suits better my
physical conditions at the moment. The track is awesome
- it’s fast, flowing and there isn't really a section
that the riders don’t enjoy. Normally races are
fantastic there.
I've had a dream run over the last
couple of years but this one is going to be a little
different so we have just to wait and see what we can
do.”
Nicky Hayden, Ducati (14th in the
championship on 81 points)
“I wish we were at Phillip Island today! It’s a track
and place I really like. The track is great – it’s fast,
flowing and a lot of fun.
I hope we can get some decent
weather because the place can be really challenging when
its cold - there are not so many right hand corners so
it can take a few laps to heat and scuff the right side
of the tire.
I also enjoy the flyaways at the end of the
year because it’s a little different atmosphere with all
the teams traveling together and staying in the same
hotels - you see a different side of people. So we got
three more races left before the end of the season and I
really hope and need to make another step up toward the
front. I really need to dig deep and try to make it
happen.”
Phillip Island Lap Records Circuit Record: Nicky Hayden (Honda - 2008), 1’30.059
– 177.803 Km/h
Best Pole: Casey Stoner (Ducati - 2008), 1’28.665 –
180.598 Km/h
Circuit Length: 4,448 km
MotoGP Race 2009: 27 laps (120.096 km)
MotoGP Schedule 2009: 16:00 Local Time
