4th May 2008

The Grand Prix of China saw both Ducati Marlboro Team riders return to the top five as Casey Stoner clinched third place and Marco Melandri produced his best performance of the season with a battle to fifth. Stoner had hoped to be more involved in the battle for victory but a dramatic change in the track conditions led to a different tyre choice than in practice, which limited the Australian's performance. However, the podium is still a positive finish to the weekend for the World Champion, who remains fourth in the championship (text and photos by Ducati corse press).

13th Apr 2008

Casey Stoner produced another example of the class and maturity that made him World Champion as he overcame an unfortunate technical problem to salvage a worthy sixth place. Shortly after the start of the race a part of the on-board camera on Casey's GP8 came lose, flapping dangerously between his handlebars and front fairing. After dropping all the way back to eleventh place, Stoner showed great composure and skill to fix the problem himself before putting together a sensational comeback that saw him set the fourth fastest lap of the race on his way to sixth place. That was enough to seal 10 crucial points that keep the Australian holding firmly to fourth place in the championship (text and photos by Ducati corse press).

30th Mar 2008

It certainly wasn't an easy Grand Prix of Spain for the two Ducati Marlboro Team riders at the tricky Jerez circuit but a show of character and determination. For Casey Stoner, who was never completely comfortable with the set-up of his GP8 all weekend, his desire to give 100% combined with a touch of bad luck saw him run into the gravel twice. After a superb start lifted him to third place on the opening lap, the World Champion's first off-track excursion came on the third lap and saw him relegated to last place. By the 22nd lap an exciting fight-back had lifted him back into the fight for fifth but contact with Nakano at the end of the back straight led to another trip across the gravel. Stoner again returned to the track in eleventh and without enough remaining laps to repeat his comeback (text and photos by Ducati corse press).

9th March 2008

Casey Stoner savoured the Australian national anthem with his eyes firmly closed under the bright lights of Qatar after taking victory in the first night race in the history of the sport. The MotoGP World Champion started the defence of his title from fourth on the grid and had dropped to fifth by the end of the first lap, before charging through to set up a stirring battle with Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo. The Spanish rookie proved to be the most difficult obstacle between Stoner and his eleventh career MotoGP win but by the eighth lap Stoner was in control and little by little he opened out an insurmountable gap (text and photos by Ducati corse press).

9th January 2008

Engine: liquid-cooled, 90° V4 four-stroke, desmodromic DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder - Capacity: 799cc - Maximum power: more than 200hp - Maximum speed: in excess of 310 kph/192 mph - Frame: Tubular steel trellis-style chassis, pressed aluminium swing-arm.
Suspension: Ohlins upside-down 42mm front forks and Ohlins rear shock absorber, adjustable for preload, compression and rebound damping - Tyres: Bridgestone 16.5" front and rear - Brakes: Brembo, two 320mm carbon front discs with four-piston callipers. Single stainless steel rear disc with two-piston callipers - Dry weight: 148kg (text and picture by Ducati corse press).

7th January 2008

MotoGP Press Ski Meeting 2008 was action-packed with a press conference attended by reigning World Champion, Casey Stoner, and his new team mate, Marco Melandri, wearing the official Ducati Marlboro Team gear for the first time. The Ducati Desmosedici GP8 launch was set in the breathtaking scenery of Madonna di Campiglio in the Trento Dolomites. The two riders ceremoniously broke an ice sculpture to reveal the new bike in its 2008 livery and tomorrow, Ducati Corse CEO and General Director Ducati Motor Holding, Claudio Domenicali, will talk to the press about the bike's technical innovations (text and picture by Ducati corse press).