Stoner delighted with opening win
Added on Monday, March 21st, 2011 by Carole Nash Editor
Stoner delighted with opening win
Casey Stoner claimed that things “just kept getting better and better” as he started the season with victory under the floodlights in Qatar.
The former Ducati rider claimed his fourth premier class win at the Losail circuit in five years, beating defending champion Jorge Lorenzo, to take the early initiative in the championship.
The Australian, starting on pole, was very much the bookies favourite after some blistering pre-season form and he kept up his strong record in Qatar, crossing the line 3.44 seconds ahead of Lorenzo.
And Stoner claimed that things could not have gone better for him and the team this weekend, taking the time to thank his Honda crew.
“After a great pre-season, we came into this race weekend and everything kept getting better and better for us,” he claimed.
“This morning in warm up we had a few issues getting a good feeling with the bike, carrying a full tank of fuel and this issue also affected us in the early part of the race. We knew though as the fuel level decreased and the tyres aged, that our bike would come back to us. Dani came past and we decided to follow to see where he was strong and where I was weak. Then when I started to feel more confident with the bike and had more grip and better turning, we decided to push forwards and take advantage.
“Tonight the bike was fantastic, as it has been for all the sessions and I’m very proud to be racing for Repsol Honda and to take my first victory in the first race. It is a great way to start the season! I’m really happy with how everything has gone and the way the team has all worked together, a big thanks to Honda and my best wishes to Japan in this difficult time”.
