Fox Sports Australia reports Casey Stoner’s 2009 season in jeopardy. The 2007 MotoGP champion and 2008 runner-up is not recovering well from an off-season wrist surgery.

While Stoner set the fastest pace at a recent MotoGP test in Sepang - besting his rival, Valentino Rossi - it is clear the Aussie’s wrist is a source of trouble.

“Considering that I have recently had an operation and my wrist has still not full recovered, to be the fastest rider here is a dream to be honest,” said Stoner after the February 7th Sepang test session. “Now I have to work hard on improving my physical condition and recovering the level of movement I need to ride the bike properly without pain. Now I know that I can step up training on my arm and hopefully the situation will have improved for the Qatar test.”

The Fox Sports article sounds less optimistic, with Stoner clearly disappointed with the progression of his healing.

It’s not an uncommon occurrence for injury to spoil a spirited title hunt, but Stoner coming into 2009 at less than 100% or missing the opening rounds is a big hit for Grand Prix. Stoner has been the only true competitor for Rossi in the past two seasons – the only rider fighting with The Doctor for wins on a consistent basis.

The 2009 Qatar opener is scheduled for April 12th, giving Stoner a full month to heal up. GP racing fans sure hope he does.