He started recovery in October and managed to set the fastest time in several off-season testing stages, including Jerez and Losail. However, Stoner hasn't completed long tests, which might be the first sign that the surgery prevents him from racing at full-speed.
In an interview for Italian publication Gazzetta dello Sport, the Australian said he's not fully fit following the surgery but he expects to get through the pain and snatch a good result in the season opener in Qatar this weekend.
"It's not 100 per cent, but the pain is almost zero now. We've understood the solution and there won't be any problem. But to heal it'll need nine months in total, which is absurd for such a small operation," he said.
Casey Stoner has also commented rumors claiming that he's not yet capable of riding a bike for a full MotoGP race, explaining that getting a big advantage from the very first laps of the race could be the key to success.
"Ok, they can say what they want. In Qatar, if I do five or six laps like I did in testing I can gain a six-second advantage over everyone else. It's a good gap to manage, but I don't think I'll need it," he said.
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