Features 8 Aug 2013

Rewind: Stoner's first factory Honda test in 2010

We review Casey's stunning debut on the factory RC212V.

This week the focus in MotoGP circles is on testing, and the primary interest is in the ‘return’ of Casey Stoner to the Honda Racing Corporation ranks as a test pilot.

Plenty of water has passed under the bridge since Stoner’s shock retirement announcement. His sensational exit was followed in the new year by his move to the V8 Supercars’ Dunlop Series ranks, and then the most recent development had the Aussie re-uniting with his former team in a test pilot role.

Today we take a look back at the first week of the Valencia test at the conclusion of the 2010 MotoGP season.

It was of course the site of Stoner’s switch from  Ducati to  Honda, and, still under contract with the Italian marque, he would run the RC212V in an Australian-themed livery.

His debut outing as a factory Honda was a spectacular one, and by the end of the second day of track running he had punched out the quickest time.

“There’s not much I’m not happy with!” Stoner said. “Of course there is still a long way to go for us with the bike but we’ve come away with a reasonable base setting.

Casey Stoner ran a unique Aussie-themed livery due to contract restrictions with Ducati.

Casey Stoner ran a unique Aussie-themed livery due to contract restrictions with Ducati.

“We still have to get the general feeling of the bike a bit better in the middle of the corner turning, but that’s just a case of getting more time on the bike and a better balance for me as I have a different style to most riders.”

The results of the test were no less than stunning, with Stoner managing the switch with apparent ease, despite the dramatic difference in machinery.

“It wasn’t the most comfortable move for sure!” he said. “It’s like going from any bike to another, it does feel very strange.

“But this morning it immediately felt more comfortable having had the first day, so we were able to work in a better way than yesterday. Today we were able to move forward and hopefully in the right direction.”

Stoner’s best lap on the second day of testing was a 1m32.066, an improvement of over seven-tenths of a second on his previous day’s effort.

Sure enough, his pace then was a sign of things to come. The post-season pace would carry over into the new year and throughout pre-season testing, and Stoner went on to wrap up his second world championship crown on home soil at Phillip Island.

Click here to read our original news story

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