Casey Stoner on the new Ducati has won 3 of the 4 rounds so far, and his ride in Shanghai proved that he is the real deal. Rossi was right there, but couldn’t get past him. Speed has the whole account as well as results. Nicky Hayden got hit in the rear by another rider, and never got back to speed but finished 12th overall.
Casey Stoner took control of the MotoGP World Championship standings with an almost flawless performance to win the Chinese Grand Prix, his third victory of the season. In a hotly contested duel with five-time world champion Valentino Rossi, the young Australian powered his Ducati to win by three seconds. American ace John Hopkins, on a Suzuki, finished third to score his first-ever podium.
Stoner withstood massive pressure from Rossi who engaged Stoner in close combat in the twisting section of the 3.2-mile track. Stoner kept his cool and then used Ducati’s speed advantage perfectly on the 160-mph back straight.
Stoner’s third victory in MotoGP came in just his 20th start and he has now won the same number of premier class GPs as reigning world champion Nicky Hayden, who was 12th in Shanghai.
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