Stoner in no hurry to wrap up title

The Ducati Marlboro rider has opened up an 85-point advantage over Valentino Rossi following his victory at Misano last weekend, and another strong result in Portugal in a fortnight will be enough for him to take the crown.

Should Stoner outscore Rossi by 15 points, with Dani Pedrosa not taking more than three points out of him, then he will be champion.

But despite being so close to the title, Stoner says he is not worried about the battle going on much further.

"It doesn't matter where it happens," said the Australian. "If we are able to win the championship and everything goes to plan, it doesn't matter where we do it. It is just that we do it."

Stoner says he still cannot believe that he has achieved so much this campaign, and confessed that he never imagined he and his team would do so well - even after their winning start to the campaign.

When asked what his reaction would have been if someone had said earlier this year that he would have such an advantage over Rossi, Stoner said: "Basically I would think they are crazy.

"At the beginning of the season, when we got those early wins, we were over the moon and wrapped with the way the season had gone. We didn't expect any more from the season, but the results have come and we've run at the front consistently.

"The whole package and the whole team are working well with me and it has been a progression over the season. I've been more comfortable with the Ducati and the team are learning me more.

"We are getting more confident in the package, we understand the position we are in and it is still a dream to win these races."

Stoner's down to earth attitude to the season means he is also not getting too excited at comments from Claudio Domenicali, CEO of Ducati Corse, who said that he believes the Australian was now the number one rider in the world.

"This is not my opinion," said Stoner when reacting to the comments. "I am just trying to be the fastest rider in the world every day."