Casey Stoner has admitted that the final stages of this afternoon's Valencian Grand Prix were extremely intense, with rainfall creating an extreme challenge for the whole field. The Repsol Honda rider ultimately came out on top after a thrilling battle with Yamaha's Ben Spies, stealing victory at the last corner on the final lap.
"My heart was in my throat! We did such a good job all the race and then it started to rain heavily. Being the first one to arrive to the conditions on the track, I wasn't sure how hard to push so I slowed up to ensure I finished the race and I thought if they come past I can stay with them.
"Then coming onto the back straight I made a slight mistake when I went into neutral instead of first gear and Ben came past me. I tried to stay with him but he was riding very well, fast and smooth and he looked confident in the conditions, more so than me.
"In the first half of the final lap he made a nice gap but I knew we were quick in the second half of the lap. I thought to myself, we haven't been able to take any risks all season, this is the time to take one and see what we can do. I knew I had a better exit line out of the final turn and I kept my head down and went for the line.
"It's amazing to win this on the finish line, I've had it done to me in the past a few times but I've never done it to anyone else! I'm sorry for Ben, he rode a great race, a big thanks to my team for all their hard work this year."
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Casey Stoner
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| Pos. | Driver | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. |  C. Stoner | Repsol Honda | 48:18.645 |
| 2. | B. Spies | Fiat Yamaha | +0.015 |
| 3. | A. Dovizioso | Repsol Honda | +5.921 |
| 4. | C. Crutchlow | Tech 3 | +8.718 |
| 5. | D. Pedrosa | Repsol Honda | +9.321 |
| 6. | K. Nakasuga | Fiat Yamaha | +23.818 |
| 7. | J. Hayes | Tech 3 | +33.118 |
| 8. | K. Abraham | Cardion AB | +37.952 |
| 9. | L. Capirossi | Pramac | +48.953 |
| 10. | T. Elias | Honda LCR | +52.501 |
| Full results | |||
| Casey Stoner | |||
|---|---|---|---|
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| More Casey Stoner photos | |||
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