Casey Stoner is without doubt one of the elite riders who has gained the 500cc/MotoGP World Championship with a number of producers.
The Australian shocked the paddock with victory on his Ducati debut in 2007 and went on to say the manufacturing facility’s first MotoGP crown with 10 wins and 14 podiums in 18 races.
The following finest Ducati rider was long-time manufacturing facility chief Loris Capirossi, who completed seventh within the standings, receiving lower than half of Stoner’s factors.
“Which title was tougher? Ducati for positive,” Stoner mentioned throughout a go to to the MotoGP paddock this season. “It was extremely troublesome to trip the bike.
“With Ducati, each weekend was like a battle… It was very troublesome to make it work in the correct areas.
“So it was extra demanding. There have been engine failures and issues like that. Fortuitously, I did not race. Nevertheless it was positively essentially the most troublesome time with Ducati.”
Though caught up by the beginning of the 800cc period, Ducati’s Japanese rivals rapidly closed the hole.
Stoner gained six races in 2008 to take the title behind Valentino Rossi, however his numbers fell to 4 in 2009 and three in 2010, as he additionally struggled with well being issues.
Regardless of this, Stoner continued to remain head and shoulders above the opposite Ducati riders who hardly ever ended up on the rostrum.
Capirossi’s solely win in 2007 turned Stoner’s solely win for Ducati within the 4 years he labored on the manufacturing facility, earlier than transferring to Honda in 2011 and outscoring fellow Desmosedici rider with 23 wins and 1 loss.
Casey Stoner, 2011 World Champion.
At Honda, Stoner once more discovered instant success, ending his first season with RCV with 10 wins and successful his second MotoGP title.
“Due to Honda, every part went my manner that season,” Stoner mentioned. “I made some errors with the setup and overheated the tires and issues like that.
“However on the identical time, the championship went very easily.”
Requested which of the 2 MotoGP titles meant extra to him, Stoner replied: “It is in all probability a Honda factor.
“I used to be actually completely happy as a result of there had been quite a lot of criticism for a very long time.
“I do not assume individuals understood what we had been doing at Ducati till I went to Honda and other people went from one producer to a different.
“We, and my crew, did not actually get acknowledged for what we had been doing till we went to Honda. After that, it turned so much simpler to be aggressive.”
Stoner led Honda to 5 extra MotoGP wins through the injury-interrupted 2012 season, earlier than retiring on the age of 27.
