Casey Stoner says only now does he feel comfortable on his Honda
Casey Stoner said his blistering Australian Grand Prix pole position was only possible because he now feels far more comfortable on his Honda than after Friday practice
As has been the case on numerous occasions in 2011, championship leader Stoner claimed he was far from happy with the grip afforded by his RCV212 after the first two practice sessions - despite going fastest in each.
However, he was much happier with the situation after also topping Saturday practice and then taking pole by half a second from his championship rival Jorge Lorenzo.
"We struggled big time on Friday, mostly because the conditions were so different compared to last year," said the Australian. "It was fast, but not particularly comfortable.
"Today we got the bike much more comfortable and it was much better. We still need a bit more grip from the rear, but it's the same situation for everyone. I'm happy to be riding here and riding well, so we'll just see how it goes with the weather tomorrow."
Stoner, who has won his home grand prix for the past four years - all for Ducati - heads Lorenzo by 40 points in the world championship with 75 still available.
He will become champion for the second time on Sunday if he finishes the race with a 50-point advantage over the Spaniard. His most likely route to this is by winning with Lorenzo finishing off the podium.
Be part of the Autosport community
Join the conversationShare Or Save This Story
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
Top Comments