Nine-time world champion Valentino Rossi says reigning MotoGP world champion Casey Stoner can win this weekend's Phillip Island race despite his injured ankle and wasn't surprised to see his auld enemy top the free practice timesheets.
But The Doctor added the near-one second gap between Stoner and his team-mate Pedrosa, plus championship leader Jorge Lorenzo, was a bit of a shock as he expected the top times to be much closer.
"I expect that Stoner is very fast here. He won the last five Australian Grands Prix in a row and it looks like with the Honda is also faster. The Honda now is very strong, Pedrosa is also good but is clear here Stoner make the difference," said Rossi, speaking at Phillip Island.
"He can win with the ankle problem. He have a good advantage, he can go fast with the soft and with the hard tyre. It is strange to see the advantage as usually the top guys are more close and I think it is because the Honda now is very good in acceleration and here he is in a bubble.
"Also Pedrosa is fast. I follow him and he ride very well but he slide also a lot. But Stoner is much faster."
