Stoner not fazed by heat in Sepang
Added on Wednesday, October 21st, 2009 by Carole Nash Editor
Stoner not fazed by heat in Sepang
Casey Stoner believes that the heat will not be a factor for him this weekend as he looks to continue his impressive return to form at Sepang.
The Ducati rider returned from a ten week lay-off three weeks ago in Estoril to take a second place finish and backed that up with an impressive win at Phillip Island at the weekend, despite having minimal training of preparation since taking a break from his illness.
Questions had been asked as to whether the Aussie could continue that form in the blistering heat of Malaysia, with temperatures of around 88°F expected on race day, after riding in cooler than expected temperatures in Portugal and Australia but the 2007 champion isn’t fazed by the challenge ahead of him.
“In the past I used to like racing in the heat but last year in Malaysia I was racing with a wrist injury and I’ve had the physical problems everybody knows about so I suppose it’s a combination of factors that I have suffered with in recent hot races. But at Phillip Island things went so well from a physical point of view that I feel reasonably confident.
“It will definitely be a tough race as being fast and consistent in those conditions is always difficult regardless. It is not easy to find the perfect set-up here but that’s always been the case and with every day that passes I feel stronger and more confident that I can be competitive in both of the two races that remain.
“The track has become a little… boring for me I suppose you could say – just because we have done so many laps here in testing – but the races are usually fun and I like the place. It has a kind of holiday feel to it and it puts you in a good mood.”
