Stoner thrills Ducati fans with victory in mixed conditions, seizes points lead

Mugello, May 31, 2009: Another race, another new leader atop the MotoGP point standings.

Casey Stoner won the Italian Grand Prix at Mugello, the home track of his Ducati team, to seize the MotoGP points lead May 31. He edged pole sitter Jorge Lorenzo – who led the points entering this event -- by 1.001 seconds for his second victory of the season. Lorenzo’s Fiat Yamaha teammate, six-time MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi, finished third. Rossi had won this event the last seven consecutive years, since 2002.

Americans Colin Edwards and Nicky Hayden finished sixth and 12th, respectively.

There has been a different points leader after all five MotoGP races this season, as Stoner regained the top spot for the first time since winning the season-opening Grand Prix of Qatar in April. Stoner has 90 points, Lorenzo 86 and Rossi 81.

It was Stoner’s first career MotoGP victory at the iconic Mugello Circuit, nestled in the hills of picturesque Tuscany.

“I have already won in Italy, at Misano in 2007, and it was great for Ducati, but this was the one I really wanted,” Stoner said. “We’ve struggled to find a great setting here for the past two years, but today was our day. I’m so happy today.”

This 23-lap race, which took place in mixed track conditions, resembled the jumbled nature of the MotoGP standings since the start of the season. It appeared no one wanted to take control at the front until Stoner took the lead from Loris Capirossi for good on Lap 16 after Stoner, Chris Vermeulen, Andrea Dovizioso, Rossi, Marco Melandri and Capirossi each took turns in first over the first 15 laps.

There were two causes for the multiple duels between riders during the first half of the race: This was the tightest starting grid in MotoGP in nearly two years, and riders peeled into the pits at various times to switch to bikes equipped with slick tires as the track dried.

Edwards was hindered by continued problems finding a good setup for his Yamaha Tech 3 bike during damp and wet conditions, which also plagued him in the mixed conditions May 17 at Le Mans. Once Edwards switched to slick tires, he gained time on the field, just like at Le Mans. He squeezed past teammate James Toseland on the last lap to claim sixth.

“To take the positive out of the race, I at least came back to finish in the top six because I was way back,” Edwards said. “But I've got to get this bike fixed for me in the wet because I haven’t sorted out that particular puzzle yet.”

The next race is the Grand Prix of Catalunya on Sunday, June 14 at Barcelona, Spain. The second annual Red Bull Indianapolis GP is Sunday, Aug. 30 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.