MotoGP: Ducati want more credit for Casey Stoner

Ducati bosses want more credit given to the performances of Australian Casey Stoner as the Bologna factory stands on the brink of an historic first MotoGP world crown.

Ducati chief Livio Suppo believes too much emphasis on Stoner’s success in 2007 is being placed on the performance of Bridgestone’s vastly improved tyres.

Casey Stoner leads Valentino Rossi by a massive 60 points going into this weekend’s Misano MotoGP clash.

But with seven wins in the opening 12 races, Livio Suppo believes talk of Bridgestone’s domination over rivals Michelin has deflected credit away from the 21-year-old.

Livio Suppo told MCN: “Don’t forget that second and third in the championship are two Michelin guys. The fashion now is to talk about tyres and it looks like Bridgestone will have won the championship.

“Everybody thinks about just tyres because Bridgestone has done an unbelievable job.”

Casey Stoner has won the last two races in Laguna Seca and Brno in dominant fashion, but Livio Suppo said he should be given more credit for the way he has performed in 2007.

“At the beginning of the season the gap was not so big. Forget about Turkey when they (Michelin) had some problems, but all of the other races were balanced and sometimes Michelin were better.

“In Assen they were better, Jerez they were better and also in Germany. I think it was quite balanced until Laguna Seca when they had another problem, but it happened to us in the Sachsenring.

“It’s not that we are racing with tyres that are one second better than what we had before. I think Casey is like a storm in this championship because nobody expected him to do this.”

Looking back over the opening 12 rounds of the season, Livio Suppo said it was easy to see Casey Stoner had been the key difference in helping turn the Bridgestone and Ducati package into a dominant force.

“In Qatar there was Casey, then Valentino, Dani (Pedrosa) and John Hopkins, so it was a balanced situation. In Jerez, Michelin had the whole podium.

“In France in the dry, apart from Casey, Valentino and Dani were there. In Mugello again the situation was two Michelin riders first and second in front of Bridgestone.

“We went to Barcelona and Casey won by nothing with two Michelin riders right behind him. After that we went to Assen and Valentino won with only Casey able to fight with him.

“That was down to Casey because for sure on that day Michelin was better. In the dry at Donington we were very good but Michelin was there.

“And also in the wet Michelin was second with Colin (Edwards). We went to the Sachsenring and Michelin was clearly better. Laguna we were clearly better, and in Brno Michelin were third and fourth.

“I think Casey and John made a huge difference in Brno, even compared with the other Bridgestone guys,” added Livio Suppo.