Sports

After yesterday''s exceptional postponement due to torrential rain in the Arabian desert, the first grand prix of the 2009 MotoGP World Championship got underway at the Losail International Circuit in Qatar on Monday (April 13).

This was the first grand prix of the new single tyre supplier era and it was a familiar story - with Australian Casey Stoner winning the first grand prix of the season for the third year in a row.

Stoner took the lead from pole and built up a two-second gap by the end of the first lap.

The 2007 world champion was never threatened as he controlled the race from the front, having been the fastest rider in every session over the weekend.

There was serious concern for the safety of Loris Capirossi, when his Rizla Suzuki bike inexplicably left the track and the Italian careered into the run-off area, known by riders and fans as the "kitty litter." His team looked on anxiously in their pit box, but Capirossi escaped injury.

The race for the other podium places was between defending world champion Valentino Rossi and his Fiat Yamaha team mate Jorge Lorenzo from Spain. Rossi won this battle by just under half a second.

Monster Yamaha Tech 3''s Colin Edwards started his seventh season in MotoGP to finish fourth on his own.

There was an excellent MotoGP debut from satellite Ducati rider Mika Kallio, which saw him end up as the best-placed rookie in eighth position for the new-look Pramac Racing outfit.

But at the end of a brilliant performance, Stoner''s victory cast aside any doubts about his fitness after winter surgery on his left wrist.

"You know, testing has been going really well for us - the new bike is a lot easier for me to ride. It doesn''t throw me around so much and I feel that I''m stronger now than I was at the end of last year. Physically, I still need a bit to go - but my wrist and everything has come back close enough to one hundred per cent on every day life - but definitely a hundred per cent for riding."

Stoner''s winning margin over Rossi was more than seven seconds.

Final placings, MotoGP Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar.

1. 27 Casey STONER AUS Ducati Marlboro Team 1''57.053
2. 46 Valentino ROSSI ITA Fiat Yamaha Team 1''57.439
3. 5 Colin EDWARDS USA Monster Yamaha 1''57.835
4. 99 Jorge LORENZO SPA Fiat Yamaha Team 1''58.272
5. 15 Alex DE ANGELIS RSM San Carlo Honda Gresini 1''58.452
6. 65 Loris CAPIROSSI ITA Rizla Suzuki 1''58.468
7. 36 Mika KALLIO FIN Pramac Racing 1''58.499
8. 4 Andrea DOVIZIOSO ITA Repsol Honda Team 1''58.506
9. 33 Marco MELANDRI ITA Hayate Racing Team 1''58.757
10. 14 Randy DE PUNIET FRA LCR Honda 1''58.771

SHOTLIST: Losail International Circuit, Losail, Qatar. April 13th, 2009.

1. 00:00 Start of race
2. 00:10 Close up team in pit wall (Rizla Suzuki - Loris Capirossi)
3. 00:13 Capirossi (65) races with Repsol Honda''s Andrea Dovizioso (4)
4. 00:23 Dovizioso (4) races with Fiat Yamaha''s Jorge Lorenzo (99)
5. 00:29 Capirossi comes off his Rizla Suzuki and skids into run-off area
6. 00:41 Capirossi''s team look on in pit box
7. 00:44 Race for podium places carries on
8. 01:02 Rear view Valentino Rossi on his Fiat Yamaha
9. 01:07 Front view from bike camera of Stoner
10. 01.10 Dani Pedrosa on Repsol Honda bike
11. 01.17 Stoner in lead taking double bend
12. 01.30 Pedrosa racing Spain''s Toni Elias of San Carlo Honda Gresini team
13. 01.40 Rossi racing
14. 01.49 Stoner does "wheelie" as he takes chequered flag,with Rossi 2nd
15. 02:07 SOUNDBITE: (English) Casey Stoner, winner MotoGP Qatar
16. 02:27 Stoner celebrates on podium with trophy with team celebrating

SOURCE: Dorna.