MotoGP news

Stoner stays confident ahead of championship title

Stoner is on a roll at the moment - he has scored the 'triple crown' of pole position, race victory and fastest lap at the last three MotoGP events in the USA, Czech Republic and San Marino, his genius riding talent getting the absolute maximum out of his Desmosedici GP7 and its Bridgestone tyres. As the Australian says: "the more I ride the Ducati, the more comfortable I become and the faster I become".

The 2007 MotoGP series enters its final phase after Estoril, with the three flyaway events followed by the season-ending Valencia GP on November 4.

Stoner said looking ahead of the Portuguese Grand Prix: "We've got five races left now and if we are able to win the championship it doesn't matter at which race we win it, anywhere will do. Everything's working really well with our package at the moment. The team and the technicians are great, we work very well together, we are like a family. That helps a lot, you can do the same job if you don't have that relationship, but having a good relationship makes things more relaxed. I know the team believes in me and in my ability, which takes the pressure off, I felt this from the very first race.

"I've always gone quite well at Estoril, I won the 250 race there in 2005. Some of the track flows, some of it doesn't. The fast right onto the back straight was almost flat out on the 990s, so it should be flat out this year, but it's nothing like turn 11 in Turkey. The chicane is a bit too slow, really. There's a couple of parts I really enjoy, like turn two, which is a very, very difficult off-camber downhill corner that catches out a lot of riders. There seems to be a lot of passing opportunities at Estoril, so you get a lot of overtaking, so it should be a reasonably good race."

more news

• 28 Jun.
  • Photos: Saturday at TT Circuit
  • Two in a row for Stoner
  • Podium and championship lead for Pedrosa
  • Stoner dominates at Assen
  • Stoner fastest in wet warm up
• 27 Jun.
  • Photos: Friday at TT Circuit
  • More confidence for Lorenzo
  • Rossi satisfied with front row
  • Broken ankle for Hopkins
  • Stoner grabs pole at Assen, broken ankle for Hopkins
  • Pedrosa fastest on Friday morning at wet Assen
  • Difficult start at Assen for Toseland
• 26 Jun.
  • Lorenzo lacking confidence at Assen
  • Capirossi unable to continue at Assen
  • Stoner: We've taken a huge step forward
  • Rossi still struggling a bit
  • Stoner dominates at Assen
  • Photos: Thursday at Assen
  • Stoner fastest in opening practice at Assen
• 24 Jun.
  • Stoner tries to keep momentum going
  • Capirossi to return at Dutch Grand Prix
  • Rossi looking forward to Assen
• 23 Jun.
  • Pedrosa eyes better result at Assen
• 22 Jun.
  • Stoner celebrates second win of season
  • Photos: Sunday at Donington Park
  • Brave ride nets Lorenzo sixth
  • Pedrosa reflective on podium finish
  • Rossi quite happy with second
  • Problems for both Gresini riders
  • Stoner wins British Grand Prix!
  • Stoner fastest in warm-up
• 21 Jun.
  • Another difficult day for Lorenzo
  • Front row for Rossi's 200th
  • Ducati celebrates second straight pole
  • Gresini hoped for more in qualifying
  • Photos: Saturday at Donington Park
  • Stoner dominates qualifying at Donington Park
  • Dovizioso fastest at wet Donington Park
• 20 Jun.
  • Positive practice for Repsol Honda
  • Tentative return for Lorenzo

Homepage