DOHA // Casey Stoner's wrist will be under the spotlight in Qatar this weekend when the Australian kicks off his campaign to take back the MotoGP title from Valentino Rossi. Ducati's 2007 world champion starts as favourite to win Sunday night's season-opener and seal a hat-trick of victories at the fast and flowing Losail circuit on the outskirts of Doha.
Stoner was overall runner-up to Yamaha's Rossi last year with the highest points tally amassed without taking the title. The renewal of their duel is eagerly awaited. However, the Australian, 23, has not completed any race distances since undergoing scaphoid surgery in November, although he is confident that will not be a problem. "The wrist is coming better all the time and the arm is getting stronger so there are no complaints," said the affable Queenslander.
"It doesn't affect me when I'm riding." Stoner, who now has Honda's 2006 champion Nicky Hayden as a teammate, was easily the quickest in pre-season testing at the desert track where he took his first pole in 2006 and first win in 2007. He also won in Qatar last year. Italian Rossi, now 30 and just three wins away from his 100th grand prix victory after taking his sixth title in the top category, has won twice before in Qatar but never at night. Last year's race was one of only two without Rossi on the podium that season.
"I'm feeling confident, we're in good shape even if we're going to what was our worst track during testing," said Rossi. "But I am happy about the performance of my M1 bike in general. With the new single tyre rule the tactics will become clearer race by race." The Italian added: "I think a lot of new factors will come into play and strategy is going to be quite important to determine where you start the race."
* Reuters