MOTOGP » Stoner title hopes end in the gravel

"This gives me confidence for next year and I''m looking forward to it already," said Stoner."

Sounds to me like he''s already given up on 2008. Not saying it would be easy by any stretch of the imagination but mathematically, he''s still in it 75 points down or not. If Rossi takes Indy (which is anybody''s win for the taking) he''ll have the championship sealed. But until then comments like this are best kept to yourself.

Rossi after his Valencia fall, 2006: "When you fall, is always a mistake..."
Stoner after his Misano fall, 2008: "The tyre just let go"

No matter how much I want to like Stoner, I just cannot. He doesn't help at all.

and Livio Suppo is so quiet now.

Seems like the only way to beat Rossi at the moment is to ride faster than it is possible to ride. Stoner is pushing himself and his bike beyond the limit. If he's got the top speed, he might be better off backing off very slightly and fighting with Rossi toe-to-toe. But I guess if he's to stand any chance of winning the championship he needs to go full tilt and hope for Rossi to get shuffled down the pack or DNF. Jack Mordino, I don't know how it's surprising that Stoner would say 'the tyre just let go' - that's exactly and obviously what happened, because he was pushing the bike, tyre and himself past the limit. If the tyre didn't let go, what do you think he did, jump off the bike?

Did you see ducati kick the camera men out the box? Randy has commented before on how they have slammed the shutters on him. Does stoner really think we believe his stories? Stone in the carb (thought they were fuel injected but anyway), footpeg hit the floor, dodgy front tyre, rossi tried to run me into the gravel etc etc etc

Theres something I dont like about the ducati team, especially after the way they treated Capirossi. Anyway, the title is back where it belongs and will be as long as Rossi keeps re signing his contract.

"This is racing? We'll see" - Casey Stoner, Laguna

skinny787 Rossi only needs 2 3rd and 1 2nd place in the next three races and he can go on holiday in the last two in order to win the championship.

Now, if you were anybody on that grid, would you believe you would have any viable chances on this championship?

Stoner looks mentally broken, 3 crashes in 3 races citing front tyre problems, are we back in 2006?

What a bad bad performance! True world champions do not chuck it down the road three races on the trot. Then to make matters worse we get the excuses.. its me tires..its the wrist.. the footpeg touched down. Hows about these ones. I am not as fast as I think I am or I''m quick till it hits the dirt!!!! Valentino must have been pishing himself laughing as he breezed by the aftermath. I think Casey should try using the tires he is going to use in the race to practice with, rather than softees to put in quick ones trying to fool the master. Its a shame really becuase Vale would have caught him if he''d stayed on four of the first seven laps we Vale''s four out of six if you ignore the first.

Didn't many say on here earlier in the year that id Casey is put under preassure he bins it? if so it appears they was correct.

If any of you watched the morning warm up as i did then I presumed that today was just like the last 2 races, I find it very hard to beleive that casey can make the bike 0.7 faster than anyone else. However he does & he deserves a medal for it.

One thing I thought to myself was Casey's pace is blistering but how many laps can he do like that, if you look at rossi's race pace & practise times you can always see a clear pattern of fairly consistent laps.

When you look at Casey you tend to get the impression that he could be ejected from the seat at any time.

I think rossi has out psyched stoner like he did gibernau and the pressure is getting to him, good to see ducati wincing, melandri obviously does'nt have as much on his bike as stoner has, does hayden know what he is in for.