MotoGP testing resumes in Sepang

Australia's 2007 MotoGP champion Casey Stoner will have his first taste of motorcycle action in Malaysia this Thursday since undergoing wrist surgery last November.

The MotoGP riders return to action for the first time in over two months at Sepang, with the season-opening the three-day test featuring new bikes, new paintwork and all the star riders set to thrill over the coming months.

Stoner is uncertain as to whether he will be at 100 percent fitness for the visit to Malaysia, but appears confident in the direction taken with the Ducati Desmosedici GP9.

The 23-year-old has been back in Australia recently, and he took out some time last week to climb aboard a racing kart near Murray Bridge (SA) under the tutelage of Australian karting icon Remo Luciani.

"I did a handful of laps in a kart when I was about 10 years old, but since then I haven't been in a real racing kart, only some four stroke hire karts which are a long way from the real deal," said Stoner. "It is very nice to go around with Remo and set the kart up and learn everything these karts can do.

"Karting wise I'm planning to maybe do some racing in the future to hone my skills on four wheels and see how we go."

Stoner beat F1 star Felipe Massa in a go-kart event in Italy in January.

Meanwhile, fastest at the final test of 2008 and winner of last year´s race at Sepang, reigning world champion Valentino Rossi, returns from an off-season of training, relaxation and rallying appearances to resume his work with the Yamaha M1.

Rossi is joined for a second year in the Fiat Yamaha team by Jorge Lorenzo and, while the Italian has declined the opportunity to change his racing number, his Spanish counterpart will be switching his from 48 to 99 as of this test.

Tech 3 Yamaha (Colin Edwards and James Toseland) will also be running the 2009 M1, doing so for the first time after tests with the 2008 version at Jerez.

Dani Pedrosa and Andrea Dovizioso will be running the latest prototype of the RC212V at the test for Repsol Honda, whilst the factory-spec version of the bike will be used for the first time by San Carlo Honda Gresini's Toni Elias.

The remaining factory participation comes from Suzuki's Loris Capirossi and Chris Vermeulen, who this week have both praised the work undertaken on the 2009 GSV-R over the winter break.

"I am really eager to get back on the track again; it feels like it's been so long since I was on a bike that I might have forgotten how to ride it!" said Vermeulen. "It's been a couple of months since the last test, but that has been two months when Suzuki has been working really hard to make the 2009 GSV-R as good as it can be at this moment in time.

"It will be great to ride this year's bike and see the improvements and alterations the factory has made to last year's bike. All the other teams will be there so we will be able to see where we are at the moment in comparison to them and how we have moved on since the last time we were at Sepang."

Satellite riders from Honda and Ducati, as well as possible appearances by test riders, completes the lineup for the test.

For the full list of MotoGP riders in 2009, click here.