Speaking during Ducati's team launch at Madonna di Campiglio in Italy, the Australian - who dominated the 2007 season with 10 wins from 18 starts to claim his and Ducati's first world crown - explained how he feels heading into 2008.
"We want to win it again," declared the 22-year-old. "Last year nobody expected us to win it, including myself, but this year we know we can do it. It's a different feeling. We're more confident now and we know we can improve even more. I know the team better, I know how it works and I love being here."
Stoner unsurprisingly tipped former five-times world champion
Valentino Rossi and 2007 runner-up
Dani Pedrosa to be his main challengers, but warned "you never really know what will happen until the season starts" and added that past performances don't necessarily mean much.
Turning to the subject of his new team-mate, Stoner stated: "If
Marco Melandri is stronger than me and wins then I'll be pleased for him. He has a lot of talent and I'm sure he'll show it."
Despite those words of encouragement, new factory Ducati signing Melandri knows he will start the 2008 season as the team's number two rider.
"Ducati treats both its riders equally, but Casey is the world champion and so I expect to be the number two," said the Italian. "I am the new rider and it would be stupid to think that I could come in to the world champion's team and be the number one."
"I'm here to grow and learn with the team," continued the 2005
MotoGP World Championship runner-up, "and I will want to understand where Casey is better than me."
