Rossi grew up just ten kilometres from the Misano circuit, which returned to the MotoGP calendar for the first time in 14 years in 2007, and the #46 rode a wave of passionate home support to second on the grid in qualifying - setting the scene for an exciting Stoner showdown.

But it wasn't to be. Instead, Stoner led the race from start to finish for his third win in succession - and Ducati's first on Italian soil - while Rossi ground to a halt after his new Yamaha engine, featuring pneumatic valves, lost power.

That humiliating DNF meant Stoner could seal the crown next time out in Portugal, but Rossi at least delayed the inevitable by claiming a memorable fourth and final victory of the year, when Dani Pedrosa pushed Stoner back to third.

Rossi looked set to make Casey sweat further after taking the lead of a wet Japanese Grand Prix just one week later, but when the track dried - prompting pit stops - Rossi struck severe handling problems with his second bike and plummeted to 13th, leaving Stoner to secure his, Ducati and Bridgestone's first MotoGP title with a season's worst sixth position.

Stoner then celebrated his brilliant achievement in perfect style, with victory in front of his home fans at Phillip Island, before clinching a tenth triumph during the penultimate round at Sepang in Malaysia.

Rossi's season came to a miserable conclusion when the 28-year-old - who needed just one point to secure second position over Pedrosa at the Valencia season finale - was injured in qualifying then, having braved the pain, suffered a technical problem in the race.

Pedrosa, who had given Honda's troubled RC212V its desperately needed first victory at the mid-season German Grand Prix, concluded the year with a reminder of his talents by overtaking Stoner en route to victory at Valencia - although the Spaniard's 125 point deficit to Stoner in the final standings underlined the extent of the Australian's awesome season, which carried Ducati to all three world titles.

Pedrosa was the only Honda rider to win in 2007, although factory team-mate and outgoing world champion Hayden had been on fiery form at Phillip Island - aggressively matching Stoner for the first ten laps before being bitterly sidelined by a broken engine. The American, whose riding style had to be adapted for the reduced power of the new 800cc engines, finished the season just eighth in the championship, with one pole and three podiums to his name.

Joining Stoner (10), Rossi (4) and Pedrosa (2) in standing on the top step of the MotoGP podium during 2007 were Vermeulen (1) and Loris Capirossi (1).

Vermeulen's debut grand prix victory, in the rain at Le Mans, marked the first ever win for Suzuki's GSV-R and was the first by any Suzuki rider since Sete Gibernau on a 500cc two-stroke, in 2001. Despite the victory, Vermeulen finished two places behind team-mate John Hopkins in the world championship standings - Hopper having used his first four grand prix podiums to nail a creditable fourth in the points.