Ducati News Today

Ducati MotoGP project director Livio Suppo has acted to dismiss speculation about Casey Stoner’s fitness for the 2009 MotoGP season by claiming that further surgery on Stoner’s wrist will not be necessary. Earlier this month, reports circulated that Stoner still had issues with his wrist following the Sepang test where finished fastest.

”Nobody has spoken about another operation,” the official MotoGP website quotes Suppo as saying. “The doctors said that the surgery went ok, so now it’s a question of doing exercises to increase mobility in his wrist. Everything should be under control.”

However Suppo stops short of denying that there are issues and the fact remains that Stoner completed fewer laps than other riders in Sepang raising the question as to his fitness for a full race distance.

”He will have to work hard on his wrist. It won’t be easy for him, but he has the character to do it. We have to wait and see what happens in Qatar [the next test]; hopefully the circuit is less physically demanding for the riders and better for him than Sepang.”

The next test for Stoner will be under lights at the Losail circuit in Qatar where riders will complete an official night test from March 1-3. Commentators and fans alike will be looking closely at Casey’s performance especially since Stoner’s teammate, 2006 MotoGP champion Nicky Hayden has so far failed to feature towards the top of the timing sheets.

”Nicky wasn’t as fast as Casey in Sepang, but you have to remember that Casey joined us in 2006,” said Suppo. “Sepang is a special circuit, and Nicky was as fast as Casey in T1 and T2. I spoke to him after the test, and I really believe that he has a great attitude to us working together.”

link: Ducati dismiss Stoner surgery speculation | MotoGP News | Crash.Net

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