Casey Stoner backs Ben Spies to succeed in MotoGP

Former world champion Casey Stoner reckons Ben Spies has all the credentials to become a major force in the MotoGP world championship.

The 24-year-old is one of a growing list of admirers of the Texan, who finished the winter testing campaign with the fourth fastest time in Qatar last month.

The reigning World Superbike champion has been in great form for the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 squad in winter testing and has rarely been outside of the top six.

And Stoner told MCN: “In my opinion Ben has come into it with a very clever mind. He’s taking things step by step like a lot of people say they will but they don’t.

“He’s also thinking about things and realising that he’s not perfect and he has to change and this is what he is doing.

“He’s the only rider to come across, especially from World Superbikes and go ‘I need to start again from a fresh clean slate.’

“He’s not going in there with his old tips and tricks and thinking this style worked for me in the past so it has got to work now.

“He’s really doing this in a very clever way. He’s one that can be very successful coming from the background that he has and with the mind you see he’s very focused and very determined and he has a big future in this class.

“Showing the form he has impressed all of us and week after week he just keeps getting better and better.

“It is becoming very impressive and by the first half of the season we should be able to see what he is capable of and then see what he can do from there. But he’s definitely one to watch out for.”

Check out the April 7 issue of MCN for a free 32-page glossy preview of the 2010 MotoGP campaign, which includes an exclusive interview with Spies ahead of his first full year in MotoGP.