Casey Stoner: Single tyre rule will help Ducati

Former world champion Casey Stoner believes the controversial single tyre rule will boost his hopes of reclaiming the MotoGP world title in 2009.

The Australian rider believes his previous tactic of spending much of his track time honing the set-up of his factory Ducati machine to suit hard compound race tyres will be vital when the new season gets underway in Qatar on April 12.

Stoner won six races in 2008 but was still heavily defeated by Yamaha rival Valentino Rossi, but he is confident the single tyre rule will help his defence.

“Part of the reason we have had so much success over the past two years is because we didn’t just fix problems with the tyres. We were running a lot harder compounds that anybody else over the past two years and we made the bike work as much as we could.

“We didn’t just chuck soft tyres on and make it feel good. That’s why at the end of the races we were able to keep going. For me the new rule won’t change a thing, it will help us a lot.

“The fact that everyone is on the same tyre is almost an advantage for us. At the Valencia test I think it was only myself and Nicky (Hayden) who tried the hard tyre.

“Everybody else stayed on the soft ones yet we were still quickest. So far the tyres have been fantastic and the two compounds work in a wide range, so I don’t believe we will have any problems getting the bike set up.

“I think maybe that’s what the sport was missing; everyone was just throwing tyres at it to fix problems. But something the my team and I have always done is fix the problem rather than the tyres.”