US MOTOGP (INDIANAPOLIS, IN.) - WORLD CHAMP STONER WELCOMES MELANDRI TO DUCATI

Casey Stoner dominated the 2007 MotoGP World Championship with 10 victories and the world title in his first season with Ducati.

So Stoner said not to expect many technical changes to the Ducati Desmosedici GP8 that he will ride with the coveted No. 1 plate in the 2008 season, including at the inaugural Red Bull Indianapolis GP on Sept. 14 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Still, there is a significant difference for Australian Stoner as he prepares for the season opener March 9 in Qatar. He has a new teammate, Marco Melandri of Italy.

Stoner and Melandri helped the Ducati Marlboro Team unveil its 2008 800cc MotoGP bike Jan. 8 during the Wrooom – MotoGP Press Ski Meeting at the Italian ski resort of Madonna di Campiglio.

Melandri comes to Ducati from Gresini Honda, replacing Loris Capirossi, who moved to Rizla Suzuki. Melandri, 25, finished fifth in the season standings in 2007 and is fulfilling a lifelong ambition by riding for the quintessential Italian team in the sport.

“I feel great in red,” Melandri said of Ducati’s colors. “I’m so happy to have become part of the Ducati family. I’d dreamt of riding a Ducati ever since I first saw one.

“When I tried on my new leathers yesterday, I felt quite emotional. I'm aware of the big opportunity I have been given this year. It's not going to be easy, but it will be exciting, and I'm ready to commit entirely to reward all those who wanted me to be here.”

Melandri won the 250cc World Championship in 2002 before moving to MotoGP in 2003. He has recorded five victories in the premier class and finished a career-best second behind superstar Valentino Rossi in the 2005 standings.

The pairing of Stoner and Melandri will be one of the strongest on the MotoGP grid, as the manufacturer and team prepare to defend their respective titles from 2007.

Stoner, 22, came to the launch refreshed despite suffering ligament damage in his shoulder in a crash during testing last November at Jerez, Spain.

“I feel much better now, although I'll only know if I'm completely recovered when I get back in the saddle,” Stoner said. “I’m happy to begin a new season with the same bike and the same team; it's a first for me since I started to race.

“Winning a World Championship has taken a big weight off my shoulders. All my parents' sacrifices, all the hard times in the past, it's all behind me now. This year, I'll continue to work in order to try and repeat my performance of last year and be even stronger and faster, but I'll be able to do that in a very different spirit.”

His spirit may be different, but Stoner’s bike won’t be changed much from the machine that helped him earn 10 victories, 14 podium finishes, five poles and six fastest laps in 2007.

Most of the updates to the 2008 bike are internal, with Stoner requesting a few chassis modifications to use on the small number of tracks on which he struggled in 2007. The Ducati GP7 had abundant power on the straightaways in 2007, so Stoner and Melandri said the team would focus on engine control and driveability to keep an edge on its rivals.

“As for my bike, I haven't suggested any big changes, either, because we already had such a competitive package,” Stoner said. “We are only going to work on a few details.”

That appears to be a smart strategy. Stoner topped the time sheets during testing last November at Jerez on the new bike before suffering his shoulder injury. Ducati will continue testing the Desmosedici GP8 on Jan. 22 at the Sepang circuit in Malaysia.

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