Burgess impressed by Stoner's approach

And Burgess, who has most recently helped guide Valentino Rossi to world titles at Honda and Yamaha, says he sees echoes of five-time 500cc champion Mick Doohan's personality in Stoner.

"Casey's got a bit of arrogance about him and Mick had a lot of that," Burgess told the Times newspaper.

"Wayne Gardner [the 1987 champion] was a worrier and you'd have to remind him that he'd already beaten everyone he was racing against.

"Do that to Mick and he'd look at you with burning eyes and say, 'So don't you think I can do it, JB?' That's the thing with people like Mick and Valentino - they never doubt themselves."

Despite Stoner winning three of the first four races, and Rossi admitting that his rival has a 'psychological advantage' thanks to Ducati's incredible straight-line speed advantage, Burgess denied any suggestion that Rossi's place as MotoGP's benchmark rider is under threat.

And he is adamant that Rossi should take none of the blame for losing last year's title to Nicky Hayden.

"There is no show without Punch," said Burgess. "I don't think he lost his title in 2006. Yamaha didn't give him what he needed and a little bit more at any one race would have been enough.

"We had a chatter problem all year, he got knocked off in the first race, he broke an engine in Le Mans, a wrist in Assen.

"I think Yamaha took their finger off the pulse, but Valentino never stopped trying and we would not have been as close as we were if it wasn't for him."