Moto GP / Trent Burton / 01 April 2012 /

Pre-season testing has thrown up a familiar script for Moto GP fans, with Casey Stoner virtually always the fastest man on the track. He's an odds-on shot to win the title and rightly so but Jorge Lorenzo will be pushing him every step of the way, says Trent Burton.

As MotoGP moves to 1000cc this year, and the CRT bikes arrive, all the pre-season testing is in the bag and the first official practice session of the 2012 season is just under a week away. And already we've got ourselves a favourite.

The theme of the pre-season has been the one that resonated through much of 2011. And that's Casey Stoner in charge. He headed the time sheets at every test despite still suffering from some chattering issues with his Honda. Speaking after the Spanish test he said, "We were really pleased with the lap times we're running but I think we can still improve the bike quite a bit (and) towards the end of the day we had some chattering but we have an idea what caused this." He went on to the say that curing these issues may not make the lap time much quicker but it will make the bike easier to ride, which is worrying for everyone else. Already he's in to [1.92] for the title and looks an easy way to double your investment. It's been a while since we've seen anyone under [2.0] before even the first race. You'd need to go back to the days of Valentino Rossi's utter dominance a decade ago.

But those days must seem like a millennia ago for Rossi now. He has shown glimmers of hope on the Ducati during testing but overall you have to say it's been another disappointment. Despite a bike that is essentially brand new from 2011, the nine-time champion has still be languishing around a second off Stoner's pace. He and the crew chief's claim eighteen months ago of how they'd get the Ducati sorted in eighty seconds must be stinging more and more every day at this point. I hope they can find a solution because there's no doubt Rossi at the front is good for the sport, but I just can't see it coming yet. Last week was the first time I've seen the Italian's shoulders start to slump. [14.0] for Rossi to win the title seems like it's a misprint but it's an accurate assessment of his current nightmare.

Stoner's biggest rival will once again be Jorge Lorenzo. The 2010 champion has been inching closer to Stoner with each test and it's clear that this year's Yamaha is a much improved bike. Lorenzo and team-mate Ben Spies, as well as satellite Yamaha riders Cal Crutchlow and Andrea Dovizioso have been right on the pace as well. Lorenzo has complained of a few braking issues that are costing him precious tenths but is overall very happy. People I've spoke to who analysed Jorge trackside on the last day of testing mentioned how he looked like he was on rails, peeling off quick laps, just hitting the same millimetre of tarmac lap after lap. He's super focused this year and I expect him to take the fight right up to Stoner. Make no mistake, Stoner is the clear cut favourite but at [4.9] Lorenzo is well worth an early season punt. To my mind, that's much too long giving the strides Yamaha have made.

Whilst no championship contender, Britain's Cal Crutchlow looks set to have a breakout year. Never lower than seventh all pre-season, he finished in 5th last week just a tenth behind factory rider Spies. He looks much more comfortable on the bigger bike and I expect him to be a regular top six finisher and, with a bit of luck, possibly on the podium before year end.

I've failed to mention Stoner's team-mate, Dani Pedrosa so far. He's third favourite at [5.8] which is fair after his positive pre season but I just can't see him competing for the title. He's super fast on his day and will win races, but he just doesn't seem to have that last bit needed to match it consistently week in and week out. Whether that's the shocking luck that follows him round or just a little lack of that hard nosed attitude of the other two, I'm not quite sure. He'll keep it interesting certainly, but I do believe there's really only two genuine title contenders at this stage.

So whilst the field had hoped becoming a father for the first time earlier in the year might slow Stoner down a little bit, it seems to have just relaxed him more. And a relaxed Stoner is a fast Stoner. See you in Qatar in a week to find out if anyone can stop him.

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