WEDNESDAY 1 APRIL 2009 61

HAYDEN“He’s really impressive and it’s not just me, he’s making the best guys in the world look average. Its just ‘Wow!’ What else can you say? I know what a couple of tenths feels like, and to think he’s got seventh tenths on the next is an unbelievable cushion.”

VERMEULEN“He is unbelievably fast. He isn’t doing many laps but when he is out there he is incredible. For one lap he is virtually untouchable. Hopefully he won’t go that fast in Qatar.”

EDWARDS“Casey does what Casey does and that’s kick ass. Hats off to him because once I saw he did a 39.1 after three laps I knew I couldn’t live with that. My dad and my wife often say I’m too smart to be a motorcycle racer. I was smart enough not to try to push for that pace so close to the first race.”

DOVIZOSO“I was really happy with my 1.40.168 lap which for me is very fast. Then I saw Casey’s times... it is impossible to ride so quick.”

LORENZO“I didn’t have a softer tyre left for the timed session but it was impossible to beat Casey even if I’d had one. He is very fast but the rest of us are not here as tourists. I am not worried by Casey.”

GOLD

& G

OOSE

CASEY STONER

Ducati invincible?

Nicky Hayden survived a massive pre-season scare as he was blown away by factory Ducati team-mate Casey Stoner in Jerez. The American was 1.659s adrift of Stoner and only fourth fastest Ducati as rookie Mika Kallio and veteran Spaniard Sete Gibernau ended up quicker.

Hayden (left) still found time for a re-lieved smile after a near-miss during the 45-minute dash for a new BMW when he ran off track at almost 100mph. “My

elbow was on the ground,” he said. “I thought I was history. I’d been hitting that paint all weekend. It was a bit slip-pery. Holding on was probably the only thing I did well in that session. I should have been down.

“It was third gear at full throttle – pretty scary. I could see the wall coming and I thought I was going to hit it. I was running on instinct at that point and just trying to hang on. I was trying to get back

on the throttle once I got in the gravel to steer it left and not hit the wall.”

Hayden gave some insight into why he was outside the top ten. “One exit you have changed nothing and sometimes it feels like it has a mind of its own. Sometimes when the two bikes are sup-posed to be exactly the same they feel completely different. The bike doesn’t turn so good in some of the fast corners at this track.”

Hayden trails as the fourth fastest Ducati

If Jerez is supposed to be one of Casey Stoner’s bogey circuits where he’s never claimed a world championship podium, what chance does the field have after his masterful testing exhibition last weekend?

Having obliterated the opposition in Qatar last month by close to a second, he was in demolition mode again in Jerez, beating closest rival Valentino Rossi by 0.7s MCN spoke to some of his beaten opponents.

JEREZ FASTEST LAP TIME