<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (J4rn0 @ Feb 4 2008, 11:22 AM)
<{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Stoner looks impressive as always, no tactics, no keeping a lower profile, he just shows all his strength and lets the rivals know without mistake where the stakes are.
These tests are only tests, but - imo - they confirm something I have been suspecting since the second half of last season: Ducati is fast, OK, Bridgestones are excellent, OK, but the real difference is made by Stoner himself.
I am sure that major Jap manufacturers are already thinking how to 'steal' him from Ducati after 2008. Maybe this is what could 'stop' him, or at least slow him down - if he goes after money, maybe ends up on a different bike that might not suit his style as well as the Ducati... ?
I am still waiting to see what rossi has, as no doubt you are. The yamaha still looks a great handling bike and rossi is still a great cornerspeed rider. Last year pushing this to try to match the ducati's speed and acceleration advantage and stoner's ability to get the thing around or at least out of corners rapidly enough, one way or another, resulted in his tyres not lasting the distance in several races. The bridgestones may well address this problem. I think ducati will still have an acceleration and top speed advantage; the question will be how much.
