Ducati hail Stoner's maturity

"There were no doubts he is extremely quick, and we knew he would be competitive in Qatar. But the maturity he's demonstrated was astonishing and impressive: Casey was simply perfect, he's a dream come true," Preziosi told Gazzetta Dello Sport.

"Paddock talk described him as a talented but impetuous guy, if not worse. By contrast, I found him extremely good and friendly, very patient in facing a long string of issues, some tied to his riding style.

"And despite being the one suffering the highest number of mechanical gremlins during the winter, he's always showed great positivity.

"He is amazingly mature for a 21-year-old guy, and as far as fighting spirit, determination and courage are concerned, he's a true Ducati man, like (Loris) Capirossi and (Troy) Bayliss."

Although Ducati had a clear straightline speed advantage at Losail, Preziosi said that this should not detract from the quality of Stoner's performance.

"Stoner was very good at doing his bit in the sections where our bike was inferior, and he was up to the task in the twisty bits," he said. "You could see at the end how much he upped the pace to widen the gap over (Valentino) Rossi."

Capirossi, who had recommended that Ducati should sign Stoner as his teammate, was also full of praise for the young Australian.

"In Qatar he has always been fast, it's a track that suits his style, but it's not easy for anyone getting the fastest lap on the last one with Rossi chasing you," Capirossi told Gazzetta.

"He's a good guy, he's calm, motivated, and he's learning a lot. He's a real talent, he can do very well and I think he will be the surprise of the season."

Stoner joined Ducati from LCR Honda at the end of 2006, and his former team boss Lucio Cecchinello believes that there are several reasons for his improved performance so far in 2007.

"It's still a bit too early to say, but the front Bridgestone tyre gives him more confidence, and if you analyse his falls in 2006 you'll see they would always happen on the first or second lap after leaving the pits, as it happened in Qatar on Friday morning: Casey takes to the track with too much anger," said Cecchinello.

"But he is maturing, and his wife Adriana gives him more calmness and tranquility. Consequently he ends up making a lot less mistakes.

"To be honest I had hoped Casey would have won his first MotoGP race with us, but for a multitude of reasons, including falls, he didn't. Besides, I've always said Casey is one of the biggest talents in bikes, and that's why I'm not at all surprised about his Qatar victory."