"In the past I was still young and went a bit overboard, but now over the past three years I've managed to keep it more under control, " he says.

BBC: Cricket's craziest man

"It was a shame I made the small mistake with about nine laps to go but I managed to compose myself and when the time was right I made the attack, " said Smith afterwards.

BBC: Smith wins to lead championship

"We started this evening with huge chatter issues and I was a little afraid we couldn't fix this but after a few more exits we managed to reduce it to a more comfortable level, " Stoner, who has won the world title with two different teams, said on the MotoGP website after Thursday's session.

CNN: Champion Stoner sets early pace in Qatar