Casey Stoner: “People thought I only won because of Ducati.”

Casey Stoner looks back on the greatest day of his career and the label that stuck with him for years. Ahead of the Australian GP, the two-time world champion reflected on his 2011 Phillip Island triumph with Honda HRC. For him, the title tasted like revenge against those who thought he could win only thanks to Ducati.

The memory comes at a boiling point in MotoGP. Jorge Martin (Aprilia) arrives on the Australian island with just a two-point lead over reigning champion Marc Marquez (Ducati), in a title battle that is still wide open.

Phillip Island is his home turf: Stoner remains the most successful premier-class rider at the circuit, with six wins in his home Grand Prix. His finest came on October 16, 2011—his birthday—when he won the race and secured his second world title with rounds to spare.

"To win a championship on your birthday, at your home Grand Prix... on top of that, it was my fifth consecutive win there and my second world title. All of those things happened in one day at my home track. I don't think anyone else in history has had all that happen in a single day," the Australian said in a video produced by motogp.com.

Before the final three rounds of 2011, Stoner had a substantial lead over Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha), who was second in the standings. Then, on race morning, the unexpected happened. "It was a very difficult day. Unfortunately, Jorge crashed in warm-up and injured a finger," Stoner recalled. "He decided not to race, and that completely changed my approach: instead of aiming to win the race, the goal was simply to finish in the top four and clinch the championship early."

Starting from pole, the Honda rider immediately set the pace. But with three-quarters of the race gone, rain began to fall, bringing down several riders, including Valentino Rossi, who was riding for Ducati at the time.

"The conditions were dry, so I was confident. We knew we would win, but then it started raining with three-quarters of the race gone and I nearly crashed. A lot of riders crashed that day," the 41-year-old explained. "I didn't want to take too many risks because we had to win the championship. At the same time, you want to win the race. I was torn: how hard could I push, how much risk could I take? It was difficult to find the balance and get the bike to the finish."

In the end, Stoner crossed the finish line 2.2 seconds ahead of Marco Simoncelli, with Andrea Dovizioso and Dani Pedrosa next: four Hondas in the top four.

That title, his second in the premier class after his 2007 crown, was also a great personal triumph for Stoner. The Australian admitted that he had long had to put up with a lot of criticism, tied to a judgment that never sat well with him: "People thought I was successful only because of Ducati."

Fifteen years later, Phillip Island is once again the stage for a world championship showdown: this time Martin and Marquez will battle it out on the track where Stoner claimed his revenge.

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