After his near-perfect race under the floodlights at Losail, the Ducati Marlboro rider returns to the Motegi circuit, in Japan, where he claimed his 2007 world title but lost the 2008 crown to rival Valentino Rossi.
The Japanese round of the world championship was previously held towards the end of the MotoGP calendar, so the move to round two in 2009 means there will be no world title celebrations this year.
Click Here For More MotoGP Images
“I’ve finished on the podium in every class at Motegi (second in 2003 in 125s, third in 2005 in 250, and second in 2008 in MotoGP), but there have been other times when things haven’t gone so well,” Stoner said.
“The set-up we found in testing has worked well at different kinds of circuits so we should have a decent base setting to work from at Motegi.”
Reigning world champion Rossi, meanwhile, returns to the scene where he clinched his sixth world title in the premier class, and he believes the Australian once again provides his main competition. Fox Sports
Click Here For More MotoGP Images
And both men admit they have their work cut out in setting up their bikes.
“We haven’t tested here in pre-season whereas we had in Qatar. So we’ll see how we get on starting from zero,” Stoner said.
“At this stage Valentino has been the hardest rival in testing and we know that Valentino will always be there.”
Rossi said he would go out “with a positive image in mind” at Motegi where he wrapped up his sixth premier-class title last September with three races to go.
“In the past Motegi hasn’t been a great track for me and I’ve had some bad races here,” admitted Rossi. “But I think last year cancelled that all out so I hope it can be successful for us once again.
“This year of course will be very different. It’s only the second race and it will be quite strange going there so early in the championship.
“I expect that Stoner will be strong again, so we just need to reduce the gap to him so that we can put up more of a fight.” The Age
| 
|