Stoner wins BMW 135i in MotoGP shakedown

Australia's 2007 world champion Casey Stoner has blitzed the BMW M Award at the southern Spanish circuit of Jerez, dominating the session onboard his formidable Desmosedici GP9 machine.

Stoner registered a superb 1:38.646 in the final 10 minutes of the session, even finding time to give a wave to his Ducati Marlboro team in their pit box as he flew down the main straight at the end of the lap. Shortly after, the session was brought to a premature close by rainfall, with just over three minutes remaining on the clock.

The winner of last year's BMW M Award in the rain at Jerez, Stoner's repeat trick earned him another car to add to his collection, picking up a 135i 'BMW Sauber F1 Team Edition', of which only 135 have been made.

"I really don't know how I did it," said Stoner. "I have not been on the podium or got a front row start here, so it has been something of a bogey circuit for me and the Ducati bike.

"The last two years have been difficult, but today we found a good setting in the morning before we came out for this session. I didn't expect much, because I guessed everyone else would really up the ante and they did, they got their lap times down, but I never thought I would be able to put in the time that I did when I needed to pull it out."

When asked what he was going to do with the new car, Stoner said: "Last year I gave the BMW I won here to my in-laws, but this year I don't yet know what I'm going to do with this one. I have an M3 that I won last year for the BMW Best Qualifier Award and I really like that, so I'll find a place for this one here!

The reigning world champion Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) got closest to Stoner with a 1:39.365, and the duo looks like it will push each other hard for the title in 2009.

Behind the front two Rizla Suzuki's Loris Capirossi and Chris Vermeulen were third and fifth, sandwiching Fiat Yamaha rider Jorge Lorenzo.

A surprise sixth place was Mika Kallio, who impressed his Pramac Racing crew with his pace, despite running off track at one point.

In the continued absence of injured teammate Dani Pedrosa, Repsol Honda's Andrea Dovizioso was the fastest HRC representative. A good performance from returning Ducati rider Sete Gibernau, meanwhile, saw him lap eighth quickest on his Grupo Francisco Hernando satellite bike.

The top 10 was rounded off by San Carlo Honda Gresini's Toni Elias and the winner of the 2006 BMW M Award, Monster Yamaha Tech 3's Colin Edwards.

With around 15 minutes remaining Edwards' teammate James Toseland suffered a nasty highside and was stretchered away, as his terrible pre-season continued. The session was briefly red flagged as the English rider was given medical attention at the side of the track, with early reports from Clinica Mobile later indicating that he was heavily bruised, but not seriously injured.

The riders will now reconvene in Qatar for round one of the championship from April 10-12.