MOTOGP » Stoner fastest on GP8 debut.

Real point is Stoner is nearly two seconds quicker than he was during any lap of the 2007 race at Jerez.
2 seconds is absolutely huge, and the GP8 will only get better during winter testing and development.
All the other factories 2008 bikes are currently slower than their 2007 bikes.
This is pointing towards one thing - another season of total domination, Pedrosa a distant second, and Rossi picking up some crumbs (if he's lucky).

Who knows he might go even better this year, I hope Marco learns the bike bloody quick or else I can see Casey destroying every rider in every session in every round. I really think he's gonna be another superstar. Of course I believe the bike is the "best", but it looks like you've got to be one hell of a rider to wring it's neck and get the most out of it. I still don't understand how people can doubt this guy's class?

Stoner is massively faster, but pedrosa is massively closer(on 08 Honda). Rossi on 07 bike (read 'cack'), first outing on Bridgestones is not far behind. To me, this looks good for next year.

For some reason the pace during the race has always been slower(maybe all the dust picking up by the huge crowd on sunday race day) than any test so it's hard to read much into it and most of the time Jerez in term of lap time is faster during the winter , Rossi won he race and the Yamah seems to suit well Jerez so no real surprise even with the bridgestone, wait and see.

Whats just as interesting is that Colin is VERY close to Rossi already so Iam more interested in watching the Bridgestone/Michelin wars at the moment, not ot mention Marcos pace as well, otherwise its way to early to read much into how 08 will pan out.....

I dont think marco is doing too bad myself, afterall look at guareschi's time. Now i dont know for sure but i would have thought guareschi would have had prior of the gp8 being a duke test rider?

You can see Ducati has field 3 test riders at this test. It must be very serious direction they do for 2008 version. Each test rider may covering 1/3 of the bike improvements, that would make Stoner's jobs defending the title is getting easier.

Capirossi departure may got to do with it since Melandri still struggling and not up to the level yet to assist the 2008 version development. I guess too many young and inexperience riders in their camp is not good for their current development direction.

This is Rossi's first go at testing for the '08 season as Michelin had banned him before.....

Taking that into consideration, and that Stoner and Pedrosa had already got experience with their machines, it's looking better for 2008.

Good luck to all the riders, they're all incredible, we just need competition this time, not an F1 style machinery battle where we turn over and watch MTV during a race.

This was Stoner's first ride on the 08 bike and Pedrosa's second ride on the 08 bike. Rossi rode the 07 bike.

All are doing pretty well considering it is just testing which means little when you reflect back to last year when Edwards and Rossi said their package was PERFECT!

Before the start of last season I predicted that Stoner would not have a single race fall in 2007. A bold prediction considering 2006 but I was right. I predict that in 2008 Stoner will continue to break Rossi mentally and win the championship in the last round from Pedrosa!

Grumpy,

Lets hope that Yamaha, Honda, Suzuki and Kawasaki lift their act along with Rossi, Pedrosa, Hayden, Hopkins, plus a few other riders.

We need to look at them for not being to the same standard as Ducati and Stoner.

Pretty simple in my books, the lack of competition was due to other other teams and riders not to the same standard to the current world champions.