In a video interview with Sportmediaset.
com, the 2011 MotoGP World Champion Casey Stoner talked about his future in racing and naturally about Valentino Rossi, that we’ve translated for you.
Having a child on the way will change your attitude towards racing and if you’ll be racing until you’re 35 or 40?Even if you become a father it doesn’t influence the decision to continue racing.
I don’t intend to race till I’m 35 or 40.
I don’t consider this life, the races and the paddock as part of my family.
It’s very difficult to continue staying here.
It’s a hard job with all the pressure you have to stand and with the criticism that oftens fall on you.
In my life there are more important things, and when I achieve what I want to achieve in this sport and for me to move on.
What do you want to achieve?This is for me to know … I have my achievements, I’m not like other people who look at records and statistics and who continue to race looking for more records.
When the moment comes I won’t have problems saying good-bye and leave room for younger riders.
Also if you keep riding you need motivations and you don’t have the same energy you had several years before, I started my career very early and maybe this is why I’ll finish a little earlier.
Did you expect to see your old Ducati in such chaos with Valentino Rossi? To be honest after Valentino’s words in the press last season saying that I wasn’t pushing enough and you couldn’t really see the potential of the Ducati I was curious to see him in action because I was sure he would fast but not as fast as I was in 2010, but then he found himself in difficulty right off and struggled all season long.
They changed the bike several times and developed it and despite this he still struggled.
It was very strange as he’s very talented and veryfast, but I don’t think he realized what work he had to do on this bike.
People say we have to say we’re sorry to Stoner, because last year he said the front end of the bike wasn’t safe and stable and now looking at Valentino, we have to admit Stoner was right.
Yeah, well of course I got a lot of criticism last year and in the past seasons also, the same thing happened in 2008 and 2009 and I got a lot of criticism as I was crashing a lot, but I was still getting on the podium and winning.
When you’re pushing a lot and things aren’t working crashing is a inevitable consequence.
Like I said if we had some more budget we’ve could have gotten better results, this year they tried very many different bikes and it’s disappointing to see them struggling because they are good people and we did struggle a bit with the Ducati, but I had a good feeling with them and the team.
Was it a bad moment when you broke off your relationship with them?No, not for me.
I had a great relationship with the mechanics and with the engineers who developed the bike, also with Carlo Bonomi, for me these people understood my situation and let me go.
For me it was the right way and the right moment to change the teams.
Riding an official Honda has always been my childhood dream and riding for HRC is fantastic and the success we had and everything has been perfect up to this moment.
What type of bike did you find, easy and very beautiful?Yes it’s true a Honda is a different bike, but it’s also true there are no two same bikes.
Certainly moving from to Ducati to Honda was different, but they both have a throttle, brakes but the feeling was completely different and I had to learn to ride the Honda in a different way, anyway it was comfortable from the beginning.
I gelled very well with this bike and step by step we’re learning how to set up the bike, I feel comfortable now.
They say you use less electronics than anyone else.
It’s true, I don’t like much electronics, maybe this is why my Honda moves more than the others.
In certain corners I can adapt more easily.
I feel more comfortable when I can feel directly the connection with the rear tire and we’re still working on engine braking.