Le Mans MotoGP: Casey Stoner happier with Ducati performance

Having failed to claim a podium finish in the opening two races of the 2010 season, Casey Stoner is confident he can mount a serious rostrum threat in this weekend’s French GP at Le Mans.

The Australian was denied top spot in today’s opening free practice by a last lap attack from Valentino Rossi. 

But the factory Ducati rider was still satisfied with his performance as a lap of 1.34.508 was only 0.106s adrift of Italian Rossi at the end of a relatively uneventful session.

Stoner has been troubled by front-end stability issues in Qatar and Jerez but after this afternoon’s session he said: “I’m more comfortable than normal here.  We’ve always started with a good setting here and improved it but today it was the opposite although step-by-step we improved as the session went on and I got comfortable. But we are still a long way from where we need to be.”

The 24-year-old ran a new triple clamp on his GP10 machine today but said it was not designed to help with the front-end issues that saw him crash out in Qatar and finish in a lowly fifth in Jerez.

“We’ve tried front and rear balance to get the bike better on braking but we haven’t had to change anything to get the front feeling better here. Maybe the different tyre and weather has made it feel better.

“Today we changed the chassis to make things feel better but for sure compared to the past this (Big Bang) engine feels better. I exit the final corner more smooth and consistent with a lot less wheelie and it feels a lot more progressive rather than aggressive coming out of the corners.

“The feeling is very nice and I have a lot more confidence and understanding,” said Stoner, who has been strongly linked with a switch to Repsol Honda in 2011.

Stoner was losing crucial tenths in the final section of the track and he added: “My ideal time isn’t too far off the others but I’m always a bit slower in the corner after the back straight chicane.

“That next right-hander I struggle to get the bike turned so once we get that better I’ll be faster through there. I used the same tyres from lap one to the end and I know Valentino changed to new tyres so this is probably a big reason.”