MotoGP: Give Marco Melandri more time says Casey Stoner

Reigning world champion Casey Stoner had defended struggling factory Ducati team-mate Marco Melandri.

The Italian has so far failed miserably to make an impression in winter testing on the new Ducati GP8, and 22-year-old Stoner has comprehensively outpaced him.

But the Aussie reckons former world 250 champion Marco Melandri just needs more time to adapt to the Ducati, even though the new season kicks off in just ten days time in Qatar.

“The Ducati is not an art to ride. It is a bike with two wheels and maybe Marco just needs a bit more time to get used to it.

“We know what Marco can do on a track but we will just have to wait and see if he can adapt to the bike,” Stoner told MCN.

Casey Stoner though did admit that he had observed Marco Melandri making drastic changes to the set-up of his GP8, without making an significant breakthrough.

“I’m not sure what setting he is using at the moment because Marco is changing the setting a lot.

“Every time he is coming in the forks are in and out and I don’t understand where they are with the settings,” said Stoner.