Stoner rejected £10m MotoGP contract

...and he has a few choice words about MotoGP fans too

Posted: 28 January 2013
by Visordown News

Stoner back in the hot seat

CASEY Stoner retired from MotoGP, despite a £10m annual contract on the table.

Stoner confirmed yesterday that he has signed a one-year deal to race a V8 Supercar in Australia. He will be racing with the Red Bull-backed Triple Eight Holden in the Dunlop Series and said he's giving himself a year to find his feet but he hasn't ruled out a return to MotoGP.

Stoner retired from MotoGP at the close of the 2012 season and has recently claimed that fans spat at him in the paddock and tried to knock him off his scooter. Straight-talking Stoner added: "We lost a rider a couple of years ago, and within a month it was like it never happened. They want to see biff and barge and they don't realise our lives are on the line. We became puppets in that world and it had nothing to do with racing. Unfortunately they didn't like my honesty."

Honda were desperate to keep hold of Stoner, offering the twice world champ a £10m annual contract to stay with one of the best teams in the top flight of MotoGP. However Stoner, disillusioned with the sport, walked away. Honda's offer was just short of what Ducati were rumoured to be paying Valentino Rossi in 2012.

On talking about a possible return to MotoGP, Stoner said: "I had no intentions of going back to the sport. But if I see the sport changing dramatically, to the point that it is interesting, there is every chance. But the way I see it going, there is no chance."

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Discuss this story

evil ken evil

Do me a favour ....

"We lost a rider a couple of years ago, and within a month it was like it never happened"

Stoner was one of simo's biggest critics, it was very sad Super Sic died but that's part of the sport Sic wasn't the first and unfortunately he wont be the last

it doesn't just happen in MOTOGP ....if you ride a motorbike your at risk ...why didn't Stoner realise this before ?

"They want to see biff and barge and they don't realise our lives are on the line."

Your supposed to be amongst the greatest on the planet,your riding is supposed to be battle every race, that's why your paid millions, that's why the sport generates millions and is watched globally.

he makes all the sounds of a man who doesn't like motorcycle racing anymore,if that's the case, fair enough but don't pan the sport that made you who you are, that's just ungrateful and poor form.

and if he does still want to race motorcycles where theres no biff'ing and bashing perhaps one of these would be better suited..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n17B_uFF4cA

Posted: 28/01/2013 at 09:27

Maverick Renegade

I don't know where Stoner's been the last year but Simoncelli has been remembered and mentioned lovingly pretty much every race since he passed away. They've since named a race track after him and there's been hoards of memorial stories and articles.

I think it's a bit low of Stoner to say that Simoncelli has been forgotten and we don't realise how dangerous the sport is. All the other riders are acutely aware of the danger and et they still choose to ride.

I don't think we'll be seeing Stoner at the TT any time soon..

Posted: 28/01/2013 at 09:31

parablob

He is just trying to justify his own decision to leave the best sport on the planet, he would alwasys slate proper toe toe racing and any one who got the better of him when it was a dog fight,he is a awasome rider but comes across as a Pr..k,a spolt brat,when he was racing and in the lead i would always stop whatching the race earl as it was ALWAYS boring,Moto gp requires Charaters to draw in the crowds, His comments on Simoncelli was out of order and the little respect i had of stoner as now gone totaly. the place is better of with out him He should have remmemberd that most poeple who watch motorbike racing are themselfs ether bikers or biking fans and we know 1st hand the dangers, I prefere WSB over Motogp anyway

Posted: 28/01/2013 at 10:12

GirlGo

Simonchelli is always remembered ... In a lot of ways.

Bad mouthing the sport does not help.

Going to another sport eg V8s and saying they are all friendly is a very immature and naive view.

Stoner makes very wide and general statements. His attitude to MotoGP was always obvious and I would cringe when I saw some of the childish things he did and said. I do hope Stoner keeps his opinions to himself now that he has left. Unfortunately, I am also a great fan of V8 Super Cars and now must continue to see him in action.

Regarding the £M10 rejection, I can only imagine he has that much money he didn't have to stay. Did he consider staying and resolve his issues. I never thought I would say this, but Stoner came across like a spoilt, whingeing sook...very disappointing.

Posted: 28/01/2013 at 10:31

Michael Wilkinson

Top riders are always remembered,some more than others depending on their characters,not just their riding skills.
Some of us recall watching riders from the 60s70s and earlier with fondness,they were approachable friendly and never hid in a motorhome,they would repair their own machines in the paddocks,lend competitors spare parts,fix their vans on the way to meetings and as a consequence the names of those that never won, but always gave their best, still come to mind.
Simoncelli was just another bright young star following other bright stars that have entertained us with their brilliance and died doing so.
As someone has already pointed out most of us ride or have ridden,many have raced so we do understand the inherent dangers in racing motorcycles.What most of us don't do is cease enjoying motorcycling when someone dies, we do re evaluate life and most of us carry on.
Some change what they do,that is their prerogative,but best to be honest about the reasons why.

Posted: 28/01/2013 at 10:44

Pagik

Casey Stoner is perfectly entitled to his opinion. He's for sure earned that right. More than any of us on here have.

He's walked away, saying how he's fallen out of love with the sport. Fine, then walk away. I appreciate people are still gonna ask his opinion on the way it's all going. But if he's that "out of love" with it all, then why not just say "I'm not answering any questions about Moto GP".

I hope the comments about Marco are taken out of context. I really do. Because it's simply not the case.

Posted: 28/01/2013 at 10:50

Fred Santos

Pagik,

I think the comment about Simoncelli goes against the fact that no measure sharpest security was made by Dorna. The chiefs looked like just an accident or fatality. The question about security in sport is quickly forgotten after an accident. Everytime.

Posted: 28/01/2013 at 11:38

Donteatpeople

From the context of the article I would assume he means no lessons were learned regarding safety rather than the man was forgotten.

Posted: 28/01/2013 at 11:48

Maverick Renegade

fred santos - it was a completely freak accident - it was nothing to do with security or lack of barriers or run off areas..

Posted: 28/01/2013 at 12:12

Pagik

I have to agree with Maverick on this. Don't really see what Dorna, or the owners of Sepang could do better. With regards to the track itself. There were questions raised about the time it took the emergency services to the site of the crash.

Maybe that's what he's referring to?

Posted: 28/01/2013 at 12:18

Please dont come back Stoner, we dont want you.

Posted: 28/01/2013 at 12:19

mxs mxs 3

So apparently you are wrong G2, There's many people, MotoGP fans, who'd like to see him keep going just like he always did, on the track and off the track. Obviously even Dorna realized his value, but too little too late ..... money is not everything to many people. Can you say that about most of other riders?

Posted: 28/01/2013 at 13:08

motorock

Its good that he went away from the sport when he did. Haven't seen a crybaby bigger than him in the entire history of the sport. His generalizations and taking everything personally are ridiculous. He never looked like he was enjoying anyway- meanwhile, there are people who stay on for their love of motorcycles and the sport, not just to win. Citing safety or any other issue is a poor excuse- Senna never quit when he felt like there were problems with safety in F1- he fought to change it. Losers quit and Stoner has shown himself to be one.

Posted: 28/01/2013 at 14:50

mobus

"We lost a rider a couple of years ago, and within a month it was like it never happened."

Wow. I do hope that is way out of context.

I'm also really sick of hering about what casey stoner thinks about moto gp every week or two. I do wish people would stop asking him about it all the time because I'm pretty sure nobody really cares anymore. He said his part a long time ago so quit asking the guy about it already?!

I makes him looks bad to everyone and it just adds weight to his side of the argument about how people treat him.

BTW I'm by no stretch of the imagination a stoner fan. But i can see how if hes asked a dumb question hes going to give you a dumb answer which is then blown out of proportion. That is his problem, he just needs to stop answering questions about motogp otherwise I'm sure the guys in V8's will get very tired of it very fast.

Posted: 28/01/2013 at 16:35

fluke

The kid is a dick (and a waste of unbelievable talent) - he is already winding up the Oz V8 drivers with whinges about their overtaking.

You have left the sport Moaner, now go away and keep your comments to yourself

My opinion of course.

Posted: 28/01/2013 at 19:12

tufty00

Whining bitch.

That is all.

Posted: 29/01/2013 at 00:26

Mxs mxs 3. We really dont need his whining,and his "im best fuck the rest" attitude. Marc Marquez will easily fill his shoes, be more exciting to watch and not moan so much. Stoner will always be like this until he looses the Valentino Rossi size chip on his shoulder he carries. Yes he is a brilliant rider but what an arsehole.

Posted: 29/01/2013 at 14:01

Rob M 9

" Stoner will always be like this until he looses the Valentino Rossi size chip on his shoulder he carries"

You know what. And this isn't a bash, but I think that might be a massive chunk of the point. I think the whole Vale/Goat thing really gets to him, and overly so. I'll miss the guys riding, but I wont miss him really. It's a shame, top rider, but his PR people need a firm kick in the balls.

Posted: 29/01/2013 at 21:19

smilo996

nails girls. He has lived outside of Auz since he started racing, he now has a young child. Perhaps therefore he sees the possible mortality in what he is doing. I'm no fan and his mouth is inversely proportional to his race pace. But saying I gave up MotoGP to spend time with my family in a sport that is less dangerous is the politicians get out from having an affair.
With regard to his comment about Simo, fans and people outside MOTOGP top brass have done a great deal to remember him. Have Dorna? That is where I think his criticism is aimed.
Anyway good luck to him racing carz.
As for motogp being the best sport in the world, be realistic just for a moment.

Posted: 30/01/2013 at 05:53

Aki

I think he just evaluated his life and decided bike racing was too dangerous for him now, a lot has changed for him, he's married, got a kid and yeah sure those things do tend to refocus your life. I think the tell tail sign was at the last race, he said he was scared he might crash, once your scared to run at the limit for the whole race then your already beaten?
But to say he doesn't want to get involved in "biff and barge" and then go to V8 supercars! He's in for a shock!

Posted: 30/01/2013 at 09:53

Pagik

We're all still sitting here offering opinions on this. And he left 3 months ago. Proves a point I reckon.

Be interesting to see if all the hardcore fans (which nearly all of the above posters are) still take as much interest. It's off season, there's not a whole lot going on. This time next week, we'll all have testing to talk about :)

Posted: 30/01/2013 at 10:05

mxs mxs 3

Fastest moaner, whining bitch has left, eh? But he still generates more internet traffic than anybody else in the Dorna theatre .... I love it.

Take your wrong colored glasses off ladies and stop criticizing a guy who loved the sport and wanted to make it better with much less the BS involved.

Posted: 30/01/2013 at 12:08

sexdrugs'n'rockingmole

There are two valid points of view here....what exactly was Dorna to do to stop another Simmo incident? And, well, Casey had been saying this for a long time - too big a difference in the performance of one bike vs another had the non-factory boys charging into corner one too fast and taking out half the field. You could see from there that some major incident was on the horizon; yet Dorna keep setting the rules to keep certain manufacturers with a given advantage...

Posted: 30/01/2013 at 16:06

Pagik

I honestly don't think your argument stands up there Mr. Mole. Particularly with regards to the Simoncelli incident. Marco's bike was about as factory as they got. Double clutch gearbox, the works (if you'll excuse the pun).

For sure there's a big difference between the CRT bikes and the satellite prototypes. And then a difference between the satellite bikes and the full works bikes. But it never caused a problem before. Not to my knowledge anyway.

For sure Dorna fucked up when they gave the MSMA power to set their own rules. Honda are mostly to blame for this (imo). And now the power has to be taken back.

For sure Dorna (to my mind) didn't have the first clue on how to approach this. But it's getting there now. The new rules coming in 2014 will make the playing field a LOT more level.

Posted: 30/01/2013 at 17:18

mxs mxs 3

I think he has a point .... the speed difference has to be a concern and it did cause few hairy situations last year.

Also, I also think that a lot of BS was going on during the racer meetings which we never get a transcript of. I also believe that a lot of Stoner's critiquing comes from how the last pre-season rules were changed and how the a tire change came about mid-season. All within Dorna's rights, but it's a clear BS if you change weight limit twice, last time a couple month before a season started .... that would and should anger anyone who cares about racing and makes living by racing.

Posted: 31/01/2013 at 12:34

Mick H

Stoner's comments regarding Simoncelli have been taken way out of context, what he is saying is a reflection of what was happening behind the scenes, which has clearly not been made public. Casey cops it from everyone simply because he has proven that he had at least equal or better talent than Rossi since 2007. Yes Rossi is a genius and is unrivelled in Championships, outside of Ago, but clearly Casey's "I told you so" in response to Rossi and Burgess arrogance pre-Ducati has rubbed against the grain for a lot of people. Casey is entitled to his opinion inside and outside the sport, he has well and truly earned the right through the performance that he has given on the track, any comments that say otherwise is just jealousy....

Posted: 01/02/2013 at 05:50

h h

Stoner should do IOM. For sure! Show the world Casey. Stoner at IOM. I am sure Stoner could get a bike, hell he could sponsor himself with what he made in Moto GP. So Casey, do it for the glory and show us you got the stones, you don't have to win or place, just show up and give it a go!!!!!!!!! That would silence the critics. You owe us man! Or do you think this is just about you and how great you are and your opinion of the sport. Think about how you got a bike that someone else built, and raced on a track that someone else built to win money that we contributed to make this all happen. Where's your contribution to the sport that supported you, other than saying it no longer satisfies you and going home with your wazoo stuffed full of our money and attention. IOM Casey, IOM, ........

Posted: 01/02/2013 at 21:05

jimlindsay

Stoner was (is?) the most gifted rider of his generation. Anyone who thinks that he is not a loss to Moto GP is a fool. His honesty in a PR and money dominated world is refreshing.
Love the guy.

Posted: 13/02/2013 at 17:45

Harby

Stoner, such a shining wit, er sorry I meant a whining s...!

Posted: 18/02/2013 at 18:29

iancp5

Stoner just continues to prove that being talented doesn't stop you being an arse. Why does he think he say anything he likes and no one else can? It's not surprising he wasn't the most popular rider.

Posted: 19/02/2013 at 19:45

moto4

My sense is that to what Stoner refered as forgetting Marco was not meant to mean fans or on an emotional level but rather that within a month people were taking stupid risks, endangering each other as if they'd forgotten that racing had claimed a (great) guy's life a short time before.

What I find interesting is how many people on here are responding much more viciously thatn Stoner in the article allegedly because of what Stoner (appears) to have said in the article. Hmmm?

Posted: 18/03/2013 at 02:51

Talkback: Stoner rejected £10m MotoGP contract