Stoner and Ducati back on track

Casey Stoner has returned to the track for the first time since reuniting with Ducati as a test rider and ambassador, completing an exhaustive session at Sepang on January 30.

It was the first time Stoner had ridden a Ducati since the final round of the 2010 season at Valencia, as he completed 54 laps on the 2015 model Desmosedici GP machine. He set a best time of 2:02.1s on his final run late in the afternoon.

The current Sepang lap record is held by Jorge Lorenzo with a 2:00.606.

After looking a little scratchy early, Stoner said it was "a really good experience" and "a productive day".

"I wasn’t too sure what to expect but everybody has been fantastic, welcoming me and working with me to try and get the best out of myself and this bike," said Stoner.  "I need some time to get back to speed and get the feeling back, because I haven’t ridden a MotoGP bike for one year and any bike at all for six months.

"We got comfortable with the bike and the tyres a lot more quickly than I thought I would. We’ve got a lot of things to test and get myself a little bit more acquainted with the bike but generally I’m very happy.

"The Desmosedici GP has a lot of potential, hopefully we can give the right input and help the two Andreas to try and achieve something great this year. I’m pretty happy and surprised with my lap time to be honest.

"It’s been fantastic working with Gabriele (Conti) again and with Marco (Palmerini) and Gigi (Dall’Igna): everyone has been really professional. So far, so good!”

The initial plan was for Stoner to continue testing at Sepang today (January 31) alongside Ducati's other test rider, Italian Michele Pirro, but that has now been jettisoned and the Aussie looks likely to now join in on the official IRTA test at the Malaysian circuit, which runs from February 1-3.