In the new issue of
MotoSprint, in an article titled "Everybody is spying Stoner's riding style" we read:
"
Contrary to what most people thought so far, Stoner uses the throttle in a very fine way, he's not aggressive at all; he does not open it up or close it sharply, but he's able to modulate it in an unparalleled way. He constantly keeps the engine revving high and makes the bike turn using the rear brake. He does not lean as long as others; instead he picks up the bike before most of the others and, having kept the engine revving high, he can immediately exploit its full power during the exit, well in advance of other riders.
Capirossi commented: "The engine of the Ducati has a narrow usable range, it is not easy to always keep it within that, and if you don't it's impossible to go fast. Stoner brakes later than me, but he does not carry as much corner speed: when entering the corner he presses the rear brake and continues to brake through the corner, with a very fine control. He never manhandles the bike [this is the opposite of what most of us thought btw!] and so he does not stress the chassis too much. Unless you can do that, the Ducati is under-steering [as Rossi also confirms]. It's almost impossible to copy his style. He uses the brakes as an additional control, he can point and shoot and make the bike turn really fast, so that he can open up the throttle earlier. He's the only one who is capable to do that with a MotoGP bike."
The journalist than adds that Stoner's style could be even more effective with the current control tires. Due also to the economic crisis,
Bridgestone have lowered the quality of the compounds since they become the single suppliers, and the current ones have less grip especially on the shoulders, allowing for more spin. So maintaining a high corner speed is no more tas important as in recent years and this situation is obliging many riders to try and change their style -- Dovizioso and Lorenzo in particular, who ride the MotoGP almost in the same way as they rode the 250s.
This in essence is the content of the Motosprint article. I'd say that thanks to telemetry and to the switch to Honda, that allows unprecedented insight by riders of two different teams into Stoner's style, Casey's skill is now, finally, being recognized in its fullness.
