Capirossi hails Stoner form

Struggling factory Ducati rider Loris Capirossi has praised new team-mate Casey Stoner for his impressive start to the new 800cc MotoGP era.

Aussie Stoner lies second in the championship after a stunning GP7 debut win in Qatar, which he followed up with a hard-fought fifth place in the recent Spanish GP.

But while Stoner has made a brilliant start to his Ducati career, Capirossi has been surprisingly out of sorts in the opening two races.

The former world 125 and 250 champion has scored just four points in Qatar and Jerez, as he’s struggled to make the anticipated impact on Ducati’s GP7 800 contender.

It was revealed in Jerez last weekend Capirossi handpicked Stoner when Bologna bosses consulted with him over the list of candidates to replace Sete Gibernau.

And the 33-year-old Italian said: “I think Casey is a really strong talent but I have said this many times.

“I think Ducati made the best choice because he is really young with a big future ahead of him.

“I have an amazing relationship with him and when Ducati was looking for my team-mate I told them to sign him.”