Ducati wraps up MotoGP makers title

Recently crowned world MotoGP champ and Australian, Casey Stoner blitzed the field in the 20007 Australian round at Phillip Island. He led the race from start to finish and, with a second place for team-mate Loris Capirossi, helped to sew up the 2007 constructor championship for a delighted Ducati. This is the first time the latter title has been won by a non-Japanese maker since MV Agusta did it in 1973.

Both former title holders Nicky Hayden (Honda) and Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) tried hard to get top spot, with Hayden dogging Stoner in the early laps, and Rossi coming from behind to, briefly, look like a threat. In the end, Rossi slowly fell back into the clutches of the second Ducati and it was all he could do to hold on to a podium place.

Hayden was in fact let down by the 800 Honda engine, which has been struggling for reliability this year. (Its 990 predecessor was, by way of contrast, the model of reliability.) The only machine still running valves closed by springs, it has had some very public failures. This was one - it dropped a valve and expired, leaving a furious Hayden trackside.

Rossi, in the end, was reasonably happy to score third --- recording the fastest lap of the race -- saying his tyres were not up to scratch. Bridgestone again clearly won this round, although individual compound choice was crucial, regardless of brand. Phillip Island is notoriously hard on tyres, with mostly left-hand turns and very high rubber temperatures.

The event took place in front of an enthusiastic crowd of 50,000 - its strongest attendance figure in several years.

Practice and qualifying conditions were trecherous thanks to rain and high winds, with Stoner crashing on the Friday and Saturday. Teams such as Suzuki were complaining they simply could not stitch together a satisfactory performance before race day. However the weather came good for the race.

RIDER COMMENTS:

Casey Stoner, Ducati, first:
"Being up on the podium was just unbelievable, I've never felt anything like it. I've been working very hard for a lot of years trying to win here. This whole season has been magical for us, we came here with a lot less pressure after winning the title in Japan, so I could really enjoy this race. It's definitely my best victory so far. I have to thank the Australian fans, it's good to see so many of them here and I hope they've had a lot of fun, I really appreciate it. I made one of my best starts, I had the first corner to myself so I could concentrate on getting the tyres warmed up and ready to go. Nicky [Hayden, who DNFed] was really pushing in the beginning, he was on my rear wheel for a while but I managed to get away. I was really hoping, more than ever, that Loris would get on the podium here, so it's been another great weekend for the team and for Ducati."

Loris Capirossi, Ducati, second:
"My start wasn't really good, so in the early laps I had to fight a lot with Marco [Melandri] and in my opinion he was little bit too aggressive. I had to push really hard to overtake him and then I said 'please take it easy'. After that I tried to keep my pace and I finished second, so I'm really, really happy and a big thanks to my team who worked so hard all weekend. This is another great moment, especially after my win at Motegi. I am trying to end my five years with Ducati in the best way possible. Ducati has won everything this year -- the riders', constructors' and teams' championships, which proves that everything's working 100 per cent at the factory."

Valentino Rossi, Yamaha, third:
"Honestly I'm not too disappointed today because I know I did everything I could have possibly done. I started okay and in the opening laps I felt like I could go quite fast and have the chance to fight at the front. I passed Pedrosa and at that stage I was quite close to Hayden and Stoner, but then I made a small mistake coming onto the straight and lost a bit of time. I managed to pass Pedrosa again but then I wasn't able to close the gap to Stoner, even though I was riding at the maximum. In places I had fun and I made some good passes; at the end especially I was hoping for a great battle with Capirossi, like the old days, but by then the grip from my rear tyre was very poor and I had to slow down to make sure I would arrive to the end. I am very happy that I was on the podium because this is a special place and it's always a big emotion to stand there with all the crowds in pit lane. Today with Casey I think it was a bit like for me in Mugello! Anyway, now we go straight to Malaysia, where our bike usually goes well, so once again we will do the maximum and try for the win."

THE OTHER AUSTRALIANS:

Chris Vermeulen, Suzuki, eighth:
"It's not great to finish in eighth, but it is a very good result from the weekend we've had. We've really struggled here both last year and this, but this year we have taken a big step and it's great to see that we have a direction to head in. If we improve the same next year we will be pushing for the front. Full credit to all my guys; Tom, Simon, Mats, Ray and Penny. They did a great job all weekend and worked their little hearts out! They gave me a great bike to race and now I can't wait to get to Malaysia."

Anthony West, Kawasaki, twelfth:
"My start wasn't that great but I started to work my way through and did okay; I was feeling good. I tried to push as much as I could until I'd pretty much destroyed the rear tyre. I couldn't keep my speed up through the corners and, as has been the case over the past day or so, it was particularly difficult to feel comfortable when the bike was leaned over on the left hand side. I was working to stay at the front of my group but by the last few laps I don't think the tyre had anything left. I'm not very happy about my result but the fans here have been really supportive so hopefully, by the time we come back here next year, I can give them some more to cheer about."

RESULTS:

  (12. West)

TOTAL POINTS

  (15. West 58)