Casey Stoner: “I won’t be giving my knowledge away for free any more”

Two-time MotoGP World Champion Casey Stoner has been a guest at two major events in Europe in recent weeks. At the start of July, the Australian took part in World Ducati Week in Misano, before appearing at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in southern England the following weekend. Speaking to colleagues at GPOne, the 40-year-old spoke openly about his relationship with MotoGP – and made it clear why he is currently sceptical about a return as a riding coach or test rider.

One of the triggers for this was praise from Ducati star Francesco Bagnaia. The Italian had recently emphasised just how valuable Stoner’s advice had been during his visits to the MotoGP paddock. The Australian had always shown a keen eye for areas of improvement and helped the riders to develop further with his advice.

Stoner makes it clear: praise alone is not enough

Although Stoner was pleased with the public comments from former world champion Bagnaia, he also made it clear that recognition alone is no longer enough for him. “Of course, it was a great honour for me when Pecco said that. I didn’t do it for any other reason. I simply wanted to help him. But I won’t do anything more without something in return. I won’t pass on my knowledge for free. Unfortunately, I’ve done that far too often in the past. As soon as people had my knowledge, I was pushed aside and they disappeared. I won’t repeat that mistake.”

Stoner left it unclear exactly what the “quid pro quo” he referred to actually entailed. He did not elaborate on whether he would have wanted appropriate financial compensation or, rather, a long-term and genuinely integral role within a MotoGP structure. It became clear, however, that in the past he did not feel his contribution was sufficiently valued.

Young talent in Australia: According to Stoner, there is no foundation

Stoner made similar comments regarding Australian motorcycling. Whilst he would, in principle, be happy to pass on his knowledge to the next generation, he currently sees no point in doing so without the necessary framework in place.

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“With the budget available for motorcycling in Australia, not much can be achieved. It takes a long time to make a difference. I’m not going to sacrifice my time and energy whilst I have a family of my own. I’d rather wait for the right opportunity and perhaps help then. But I won’t be passing on my expertise for free any more, only for others to run off with it afterwards,” the exceptional Australian rider made clear.

Clear criticism: MotoGP is repeating the mistakes of Formula 1

Stoner also had critical words for the development of the premier class as a whole. In particular, the Australian regrets the end of the Phillip Island Grand Prix and the switch to the street circuit in Adelaide. At the same time, he sees MotoGP heading down a path which, in his view, is taking it further and further away from actual racing.

“It’s really disappointing, but at the same time it shows the direction in which this world is heading. It’s no longer about pure racing. MotoGP is making the same mistakes that were made in Formula 1 for years. We have the same problems, as you can see with the aerodynamics and the many devices we don’t need,” complained the 2007 and 2011 world champion.