Stoner is under fire from the local press in Australia due to the tobacco sponsorship deal, as already reported by TwoWheelsBlog.
The campaign from anti-smoking groups against the Marlboro sponsorship is showing just how many traps there are for the young Australian in his international sports career.
I get the distinct impression that Stoner is missing a serious mentor who can pull him up and teach him a little about how to shrug off the pitfalls of his MotoGP campaign.
After his little tantrum in front of BBC cameras after the Laguna Seca race, the young star has shown that he’s fraying a little at the edges of his psychological strength.
Perhaps he should take a leaf from Rossi’s book, the charismatic Italian rider who has taken the motorcycling world by storm and is known for his easy going style.
Casey Stoner was nominated Young Australian of the Year after his world championship win, but it looks like keeping up standards for the title is not easy in the cut and thrust world of international MotoGP.
In Australia any tobacco advertising and sponsorship is banned, and the question has been raised as to what the Young Australian of the Year is doing in a team that receives tobacco sponsorship.
Not surprisingly Stoner’s management in Italy could not be contacted for a Sydney Morning Herald article on the affair.
Not a wise decision, I would suggest, as now, more than ever, Stoner needs to maintain his fan base and dig a little deeper to keep up his MotoGP campaign.
In the end, it’s not easy, or fair, to ask a 22 year old to behave like a man, without giving him the support required.
Photo Flickr