Ducati finally conquered its home race at Mugello last Sunday thanks to a stunning performance from Casey Stoner in one of the most difficult and eventful races of his career. The Australian rider took the chequered flag in Italy followed by Yamaha’s Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi.

The victory for Stoner came during the second wet-to-dry flag-to-flag race in succession which was his 18th for the Italian factory.  His latest win also gives him the lead in the World Championship as he is now four points ahead of Lorenzo and nine points ahead of current World Champion Valentino Rossi.

The Ducati Marlboro Team rider, mindful of his Le Mans experience two weeks ago, perfectly negotiated a track that started out wet following a heavy rain shower before the race.

He kept pace with the lead group even when his wet tires were completely spent, before quickly rejoining the battle for the lead after changing to slick tires and holding off the challenge of the men behind him.

“During the practice my pace in the dry wasn’t perfect but it was quite good. We started out well in the wet, I felt good and the bike was doing great until the wet tires were worn out. I kept trying to push to the limit because I didn’t want to lose ground on the others like at Le Mans and stayed out there until I was absolutely sure it was the right time to change tires. As soon as I went out on slicks I felt comfortable and competitive.”

“Unfortunately I had an issue with the clutch and it started to give me a few problems. Loris came past and was pushing hard and riding very well and he kept me on my toes,” Stoner added.

Ducati Corse CEO Claudio Domenicalli said, “This is definitely a special win for us. Mugello is our home circuit, where Vittoriano Guareschi has done thousands of kilometers in testing and where the Desmosedici completed its first laps. So to win here in front of so many passionate Italian fans, factory workers and suppliers, with the Ducati stand even more packed than ever, is a great feeling and a source of great pride.”