Stoner left upbeat for Mugello

The Ducati GP7 bike has a clear advantage on long straights but there were doubts about its suitability to tighter tracks prior to the French round last weekend.

But after qualifying second and finishing third in the rain-hit race, any concerns about the overall package have been wiped away.

Stoner believes that the way that Ducati maintained their competitiveness at Le Mans proved that they have the machinery to be fast everywhere - and bodes well for the high-speed Mugello track that is next up on the calendar.

"This weekend has been a big test for the Ducati again," said Stoner in an interview with Italia1. "Many people say it's only good on the straights.

"On this circuit we qualified in second position and we were very good for a dry race. In the wet we arrived in a very good position.

"Mugello is one of my favourite circuits and also one of Ducati's favourite circuits. I had some very good results there in the past. It's very fast, so hopefully the Ducati will be okay."

Although Stoner never appeared to have the kind of pace at Le Mans that he has shown at some previous races, he believes the weekend did provide some pointers for where improvements can be made in the future.

"We had a few problems this weekend but we can overcome them in the future," he said.

"We've been having a very good season, and I've been able to do the things I want during the races, without making too many mistakes. So we are having a very good year this year."