Stoner: we had speed to spare

"We had a great set-up and haven't had to change too much," said Stoner in the post-race press conference.

"It was just a matter of choosing the right tyre for the race and it ended up being the right choice.

"The whole way through the race we were setting a nice consistent pace, not pushing too hard, and always had a little bit left."

Stoner was almost surprised at the ease of his first MotoGP victory. The 21-year-old former LCR Honda rider paid glowing tribute to his new Ducati team.

"I can't really say much else: Ducati's been perfect," he said.

"We've had a couple of little problems over the weekend, but they've all been resolved.

"All the team's working great for me. Bridgestone tyres - to do the fastest lap of the race on the last lap, they've got to be pretty damn good. So I'm very happy with how things are going for me."

Rossi managed to pass Stoner in the slower sections of the track on several occasions, but the young Australian always successfully retaliated on the straights. He denied that having the legendary Rossi behind him all the way made the victory particularly pleasing.

"I was thinking about the pressure from him, but he is no different from any other rider," Stoner told BBC television.

"It doesn't matter who is behind you, if they are capable of going that quick they are capable of getting past you."