#27 back on top: Stoner fastest in Sepang

Ducati Team test rider back on track with a bang

Two-time MotoGP™ World Champion Casey Stoner may have retired at the end of the 2012 season, but the Australian Legend was back in his leathers and fast as ever as he returned to Sepang International Circuit in his role as test rider for Ducati. Setting the fastest lap of the day and one of only two riders below the two minute barrier, Stoner made the most of a long period of dry track time throughout the day, with expected earlier rain only beginning to fall around two hours ahead of the end of the session.

The Australian’s quickest lap was just over a tenth faster than P2 man Andrea Dovizioso on the second Ducati on the timesheets, a 1:59.680, and the 2007 and 2011 MotoGP™ World Champion did 32 laps. He also completed a private test at the track last week, with fellow test riders from Yamaha, Suzuki, Aprilia, KTM and Honda also present.

Casey Stoner, P1: "Today was positive and the best thing about it was that we got a lot of dry track time. It's been hanging in the balance really with the weather because the track takes so long to dry and if it rains at all within twelve hours, you're going to get very little track time. It's great that we got out there straightaway this morning and started putting in some good laps, reconfirming what we felt earlier in the week. We got a lot of comparisons done today so it was really good to get a feeling and direction with the bike. We still have a lot more work to do, it was disappointing that it rained but hopefully on Wednesday when we come back on track we can pick up where we left off and move this bike further forward, especially in the chassis area."