From MotoGP files

The Ducati Desmosedici GP8 launch was set in the breathtaking scenery of Madonna di Campiglio. MotoGP 2007 champion Casey Stoner and new teammate Marco Melandri were on hand to unveil the new bike in its 2008 livery.





















Both drivers were delighted to be back under the spotlights and they both seem to be ecstatic about the coming season.

Stoner looked as though his shoulder injury was a thing of the past. "I feel much better now," he said. "Although I'll only know if I'm completely recovered when I get back in the saddle. I'm happy to begin a new season with the same bike and the same team; it's a first for me since I started to race. The feeling is just perfect with everyone at Ducati."

Asked if he felt more pressure at the beginning of the upcoming season, Stoner declared: "Winning a World Championship has taken a big weight off my shoulders: all my parents' sacrifices, all the hard times in the past, it's all behind me now."

Does the new partnership between Valentino Rossi and Bridgestone worries him? Stoner, replied he is unconcerned about racing Rossi on the same rubber.

"It's the same thing with Valentino and the Bridgestones. Everyone is always asking me if we're worried about it. We're just worried about our own situation," the champion said.

As for Marco Melandri he revealed how excited he is to wear the Italian World Champion team colours for the first time.

"I feel great in red! I'm so happy to have become part of the Ducati family, he declared. "I'd dreamt of riding a Ducati ever since I first saw one. After my first tests, I gave feedback to the engineers so that my bike could be adjusted to match my requirements and now, I can't wait to hit the track again to train for this season. As soon as we manage to fine-tune the bike we'll be very competitive"