Casey Stoner not worrying about title chances

Casey Stoner has insisted he will concentrate on winning races rather than dwelling on his dire MotoGP world championship prospects in 2010.

Most people have already written Stoner’s title hopes off after just three races with the Australian a massive 59-points adrift of series leader Jorge Lorenzo going into this weekend’s Italian GP at Mugello.

Stoner’s title hopes look all but over even at this early stage of the season after he crashed out of the lead in the season’s opening race in Qatar and then out of a threatening fifth place in Le Mans last month.

The 24-year-old, who has only scored points with a distant fifth place in Jerez, said: “I’m not thinking about the championship and I was already behind and needing to start winning races before I could think about the championship.

“I’m thinking about nothing expect trying to repair the damage and getting going. Obviously Mugello hasn’t come at a positive moment for us but this is our situation and we have to try and look forward, taking things race by race and not worrying too much about the championship.

“That is what I am most interested in right now and we want to get the bottom of this problem we’re having with the front end. We have a few things to try at Mugello and we will be working as hard as always to achieve our goals.

“Generally the bike is working well and we have the pace to fight with the guys at the front so it is just a case of continuing to work hard to solve this issue.”

Stoner denied he needed Mugello to give him a boost having claimed his first success at the spectacular Tuscany venue 12 months ago.

Stoner will be supported by a massive Ducati fan base but he added: “I don’t need circuits to give me a boost. I go to each circuit with the same mentality and at a circuit where I have not done well in the past is where I want to do well.

“At the circuits that favour me I just let it come naturally. I’ve always been fast at Mugello with reasonably good results.”