MotoGP | Stoner attacks Ducati policy: “They have no honor”

Reserved, but also direct. Casey Stoner has not always been appreciated for this characteristic, but if there is something that unites everyone it is the admiration for his riding style. The only rider to take Ducati to the top of the world in the MotoGP era before Pecco Bagnaia's double, the Australian remained in the hearts of many fans despite only two world championships in the premier class (in 2007 with the Desmosedici and in 2011 with Honda ) and an early withdrawal.

Far from the tracks as a rider, but always present as a Ducati consultant on some occasions or as a simple fan of racing, the real ones that he loved madly despite their side effects. Precisely this pushed him to hang up his helmet, his relationship with his fame has always been difficult and he tells it in an interview granted to La Gazzetta dello Sport: “Throughout my career, people struggled to understand me and I struggled to accept fame. I'm a quiet person and I never wanted to be famous. First of all I'm a pilot, I didn't expect people's attention. This pressure took away my energy, it took me a while to get used to it. But now people have realized that I have always been honest and direct. They didn't like this at the time.”

The current MotoGP is very different from the one Stoner experienced, in just over ten years the championship has undergone a metamorphosis: “The 2023 season was beautiful. Observing excellence is what I prefer. You should be happy when you witness it to the rise of generational talents. If Dani, Jorge, Valentino beat me at the time it's because I couldn't give better than what they gave.”

“Do people want entertainment? If you want to have fun, go to the cinema. You will only get entertainment when the competition is real, not when drivers are penalized or limited in some way,” says Stoner, referring to regulatory limits that impose a certain rigidity and place heavy stakes.

The change in MotoGP is not only generational, but also technological. What were once the dominant brands are now called upon to catch up. This is the case of the Japanese teams, who, as their current point of reference, have Ducati. Yes, that very Ducati that Stoner had taken to the top of the world in 2007 but then struggled to find the pace to become a winner again.

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team, Casey Stoner

That of the Borgo Panigale manufacturer is a story of rebirth, but with some shadows, as Stoner reveals: “Ducati's biggest mistake was getting rid of Filippo Preziosi, and I have no respect for how they did it. In the years I was with him we never got new parts during the season, we had the exact same package. If we had a problem, we had to find a way to solve it with the bike we had. Halfway through the season we would test the following year's bike: at the first tests there were always improvements and I would have liked to race that bike for the rest of the season knowing that we were half a second to almost a second faster. Of course Gigi Dall'Igna did a good job, but it took a lot of time and a lot of budget to get to where I am now.”

Stoner's words are very harsh, but they are only a preamble to the actual attack. The biggest criticism that the two-time world champion makes towards Ducati is that of the management of teams and riders in the championship. Having eight bikes on the track has become a strong point and an enormous advantage for the red team, but the Australian doesn't see this favorably: “I'm not very happy with the fact that they have so many bikes on the grid. So, in fact, they can control each team and expect results from them that are not correct. It is okay to follow team orders but there should be no orders from the builder. I lost a lot of respect for them after they got to this level. If they have to win at all costs, for me they have no honor. Furthermore, I know for a fact that Pecco would not have wanted to win like this. They want to win at all costs and for me it's not an honorable thing.”