Stoner

The annual MotoGP Ski Wroom event got underway on Monday beginning with a cocktail party at the Hotel Spinale, followed by a welcome dinner at Madonna di Campiglio.

Casey Stoner arrived at the Italian annual presentation in a Ducati themed Alpha Romeo, while new signing, Nicky Hayden rode into town on a horse-drawn carriage.

The five-day event, hosted jointly by Ferrari F1 and Ducati continued on Tuesday morning with a press conference and autograph session before the boss of Ducati Corse, Claudio Domenicali talked about the new Desmosedici GP9, while the two riders relaxed by taking to the slopes.

Stoner’s main priority is to making sure his wrist will be 100% fit for the 2009 season after undergoing surgery on the scaphoid problem that hindered his racing last season.

Stoner said,

“I’m reasonably happy.  I would like to have a little more movement but the check-up went well yesterday, the bone graft has healed well and that is very positive.  It means I can start to work my hand and arm a little harder now and start to recover some muscle mass and get in the best possible shape for the next test.”

When asked about the 2009 machine, Stoner said,

“So far I’ve only ridden the GP9 twice, at Barcelona during the season and for a day at Valencia in November.  It wasn’t much but it was enough to understand that we’re not a long way off and that the new chassis is an improvement.  We need to work on improving the set-up and refining a couple of areas on the bike.”

Hayden, who has spent two years with Repsol Honda before making the switch to Ducati said,

“On Sunday I tried on my Ducati leathers for the first time in an official photo session and I felt very proud.  I know what a huge opportunity I’ve been given and I’m very grateful to Ducati, Marlboro and everybody who has shown faith in me in this new chapter of my career.”

Hayden added,

“So far everything has gone well.  Obviously I need to get faster in order to be truly competitive but I already love the bike.  I can’t say it’s easy to ride, it gets pretty loose on corner exits sometimes but the engine is powerful and that is important, especially in a race situation.  The chassis is nice and stiff so you get plenty of feedback and I like the feeling with the front, which is really stable in the fast corners.”

When asked about the season ahead with his new team-mate and friend for many years, he said,

“We’re both competitive and we’re going to want to beat one another but we’ll also work together to make a strong team.  As far as my expectations for the season are concerned, I still have a lot of faith in myself and in what I’m capable of.  The first objective is to get back to the same level I was at in 2006, challenging consistently for the podium and trying to start winning races again.”