Ducati had offered Casey Stoner the chance to replace Andrea Iannone this weekend at Motegi, but the Australian turned down the offer. Iannone is still recovering from the back injury he suffered during practice for the San Marino Grand Prix. Michele Pirro, the Borgo Panigale manufacturer's test rider, replaced him both at Misano and Aragon. However, Pirro will be running in Valencia from Wednesday to Friday, in all likelihood with the base for next year's Desmosedici, a circumstance which has meant he was unable to replace Iannone in Japan. Given the circumstances, Ducati decided to offer Stoner the chance to race. "We gave him the chance, but he said no," Paolo Ciabatti told...
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