Casey Stoner unfazed by Dani Pedrosa threat

Casey Stoner has denied the presence of a fast team-mate capable of winning races increases the pressure and scrutiny on him this season.

Stoner is facing arguably the biggest internal competition of his career having joined Dani Pedrosa in the Repsol Honda squad for 2011.

Honda management have spoken frequently during the pre-season about how the internal competition between Stoner, Pedrosa and Italian Andrea Dovizioso will help HRC fight to end Yamaha’s domination of MotoGP.

The Japanese factory got an immediate return on its investment in the opening race in Qatar earlier this month when Stoner produced a stunning debut on board the Honda RC212V machine to claim a fourth win in five years at the Losail International Circuit.

Pedrosa was third having been struck again by an on-going numbness issue in his left arm as a result of the shoulder damage he suffered in a big practice crash during last October’s Japanese Grand Prix.

But Stoner said he isn’t worried by the threat Pedrosa is capable of posing having been comfortably quicker than Loris Capirossi, Marco Melandri and Nicky Hayden at Ducati.

Stoner, who became the first rider to win in the 800cc era on two different bikes in Qatar, said: “At the beginning Loris and I were fighting and some races Loris was very competitive but the most important thing is to just look at your own side of your garage. If you are always looking across and wondering how they are doing it then there is no sense. I just stay focussed on my own side and worry about myself.  We are on the same brand of bike and that’s it.”