The 2011 MotoGP season finished with a spectacular Casey Stoner having becoming the World Champion having dominated the entire season with his 10 wins, his six other podiums and having reached Mick Doohan’s pole position record of 12.
While the start of the 2012 championship is still four months off and will see the welcome return of the 1000cc format, Australian bookmakers are already placing the odds on their fellow countryman as the rider to beat.
Unsurprisingly reigning champion Stoner is quoted a 2,5 followed by this year’s MotoGP runner-up Jorge Lorenzo at 3.
5, while Dani Pedrosa is quoted at 5.
Strangely enough Valentino Rossi is at 6, despite his horrendous 2011 season in Ducati with no wins (for the first time since the start of his career) and one lucky podium and he’s still a step ahead of Yamaha’s Ben Spies (quoted at 8) and who finished ahead of him in the standings and stood on the podium four times with a win at Assen, now you can scratch your heads and wonder why.