MotoGP Team

Rider, Ducati Corse

Casey Stoner, Ducati Rider 2009

Casey Stoner always displayed an extraordinary passion and talent for motorbike riding. He was a very early starter: at the age of four he competed in his first race in the under 9s category at the Hatchers dirt racing track on the Gold Coast in Australia. He continued racing and just after his 14th birthday he moved to England to start his road racing career. Casey was talented enough to attract immediate sponsorship after just one race in the UK, and started to race in the English 125cc Aprilia Championship in 2000. Casey's determination and skill saw him race in the 125cc Spanish Championships in 2001, the 125GP series in 2002 and the 250GP machine at only 16 years of age.

After influential wins in 2003 and 2004 riding a 125cc bike, Casey rode an official 250cc Aprilia, achieving 10 podiums throughout the season.

After joining the Ducati MotoGP team in 2007, Casey had his first win in the MotoGP class at the 800cc Grand Prix in Qatar. Nine wins, four podiums and five pole positions later, Casey became Ducati’s first ever MotoGP World Champion and the first rider in more than 30 years to win the title on a European-made bike. He is also now the second youngest premier-class world champion after the American legend Freddie Spencer, who was 84 days younger when he won his title in 1983.

At just twenty years of age, Casey not only realised his ambition to ride in the fastest and most prestigious class, but he dominated the series and won the World Riders’ title. 2008, however, was a tougher year and Valentino Rossi’s resurgence meant Casey had to settle for second place.

Returning in 2009 with his favoured number 27, Casey will be riding the brand new Ducati Desmosedici GP9 and hoping to regain his place at the summit of the world’s elite motorcycle racers.

Rider, Ducati Corse

Nicky Hayden, Ducati Rider 2009

Ducati welcomes American new boy, Nicky Hayden to its MotoGP team in 2009. His addition this season provides Ducati with one of the strongest rider line-ups in years. In fact, the Ducati Team will be the only team in the MotoGP paddock to line up two class World Champions.

One of three motorcycling brothers, Nicky began racing very early on against racers twice his age and often had to have one of his family or crew holding him up at the back of the grid, as his feet couldn’t reach the ground!

Rising through the AMA Championships in the United States, Nicky smashed records at the majority of stages in his early career. At only 17, Nicky was racing a factory Honda RC45 Superbike, before conquering the AMA Supersport in 1999, at just 18 years of age. 2001 was his first full season as an AMA Superbike rider, finishing within 40 points of the overall Championship winner, but 2002 was when Nicky really made his mark.

The ‘Kentucky Kid’ became the youngest ever AMA Superbike Champion by defeating reigning champion Matt Mladin and taking victory at the Daytona 200. As a result, Nicky was snapped up by Repsol Honda MotoGP team to partner Valentino Rossi. Unfazed by such starry company, Nicky achieved a commendable fifth place in the Championship standings to claim the ‘Rookie-of-the-year’ award, followed up by a third place finish in 2005.

2006 was a season to remember for Nicky as he won a very hard fought Championship battle with former team mate, Valentino Rossi. Rossi, then riding for Yamaha finished the season a mere five points behind Hayden, having crashed out in the final round of the season.

In contrast, however, 2007 and 2008 were difficult seasons for Nicky. On the 15th September 2008 it was announced that Nicky would be joining Casey Stoner in the Ducati Corse garage in 2009, completing a formidable MotoGP line-up for the factory Ducati team.