Casey Stoner rules at Losail and pays tribute to Japan
Doesn’t Casey Stoner look right in Repsol leathers? I have a feeling that it is an association that will come to define him, especially if Casey keeps performing as he did last Sunday night. The Honda super-team of the Doohan and Rossi era has returned in style with the young Australian shining brightest of all under the lights of Qatar as Moto GP kicked off 2011 after an intriguing off-season packed with rider swaps.
The dull circuit was as illuminated by Casey’s inspired riding as it was by the thousands of lights shining in the desert night, earning the Honda-newcomer my racer of the week title. He didn’t just humble the more established Honda riders Pedrosa, Dovizioso and Simoncelli, he also beat last year’s champion Jorge Lorenzo. The lollipop-munching Yamaha rider said he rode at 100% to keep up with Casey, implying he never had to ride his steed quite so fast while battling Valentino Rossi last year, which is a sobering thought.
As for everybody’s favourite Italian nine-time champion, Valentino struggled in the saddle of the Ducati vacated by Stoner. Seventh was all the great man could manage with the eyes of Italy fixated on him and his team. Getting to know the new team sounds like a good excuse for an average result, but a glimpse inside the red squad’s pit box showed plenty of faces that followed Rossi over from Yamaha. A tenth championship is not likely for The Doctor in 2011 as he recovers from injury and tames a radically different bike, while Casey Stoner already looks odds on to seal the second crown of his career.
Race of Two Worlds 