Stoner wins Phillip Island 2008

Casey Stoner wins Phillip Island MotoGP – Ducati Report

Casey Stoner took his fifth victory of the season, his second in a row at Phillip Island, and with it celebrated a special milestone for Ducati today. This was the Italian factory’s 100th MotoGP race since joining the series in 2003.

For Stoner this was his 15th win and it came from pole position after a dominant weekend from the Australian at his home Grand Prix. After clocking a new pole record here yesterday, overnight changes to the set-up of his Desmosedici gave him a further edge today and only Nicky Hayden was able to give chase before eventually relenting.

Since 2003 the Italian factory has claimed the 2007 Rider, Constructors and Team Titles, 58 podiums – 23 of them victories – and 22 pole positions. It has been another tough Grand Prix for Marco Melandri. The winner of this race in 2006 has been unable to get close to that kind of form this season and he wasn’t helped by a series of crashes this weekend, eventually crossing the line out of the points in 16th place today.

CASEY STONER (Ducati Marlboro Team): 1st
"This weekend has been a bit like the whole season – up and down! Thankfully it’s finished on a high and it’s a great feeling to win my home Grand Prix in front of all these wonderful fans, with my family here too. That’s largely down to the hard work of my team because we’ve had some issues with the bike here but today it felt great and I was able to push hard from the first lap.

Sometimes at this track you can have the best pace but still get dragged into a battle but I was able to get away, even though Nicky chased me hard for a long time before eventually dropping off and giving me some breathing space. It’s been a great year for me and even though we haven’t won the title I feel proud of our achievements. If we can battle for the championship again next year that would be great but for now I’m just going to enjoy winning my home GP."

LIVIO SUPPO (Ducati MotoGP Project Director)
"Casey was fantastic and he truly deserved to win here at Phillip Island. Today’s victory is really very special and comes after a few difficult races for him. I am very happy that he has been successful here of all places, in front of his fans. And it is also the best way for us to celebrate our one hundredth race in MotoGP. Since the podium in the first race in Suzuka up to today, we have experienced unforgettable moments and difficult days, but we still have the same enthusiasm and have always demonstrated to be a united team. Thanks to everyone in Ducati Corse who in these past six years have worked hard both at the track and back at the factory to make all of this possible.