Stoner: Criticism was unjust

Casey Stoner reckons some of the criticism that came his way in his rookie MotoGP year last season was unjust as he aims to prove the doubters wrong in 2007.

The factory Ducati rider was criticised for crashing too much and being too outspoken on some of his rivals despite his relative inexperience at the top level.

But the Australian, who stormed to victory in the season’s opening GP in Qatar last weekend, said: “I’m honest. I proved what I could do and I didn’t state that I was going to do any better than what I did.

“Unfortunately I did crash a little bit and we figured out at the end of the season why but I don’t think I gave any opinions that were anything too bad about people.

“Some people might have made them up but personally I don’t think I said anything wrong.”