Casey Stoner facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Casey Stoner AM
Stoner at the 2011 Australian Grand Prix
Nationality	Australian
Born	(1985-10-16) 16 October 1985 (age 39) Southport, Queensland, Australia
Website	caseystoner.com.au
Motorcycle racing career statistics MotoGP World Championship Active years 2006–2012 Manufacturers Honda (2006, 2011–2012) Ducati (2007–2010) Championships 2 (2007, 2011) 2012 championship position 3rd (254 pts) Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points 115 38 69 39 29 1815 250cc World Championship Active years 2002, 2005 Manufacturers Aprilia Championships 0 2005 championship position 2nd (254 pts) Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points 31 5 10 2 1 322 125cc World Championship Active years 2001, 2003–2004 Manufacturers Honda (2001) Aprilia (2003) KTM (2004) Championships 0 2004 championship position 5th (145 pts) Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points 30 2 10 2 3 274

Casey Joel Stoner (born October 16, 1985) is an Australian former professional motorcycle racer. He is famous for winning the MotoGP World Championship twice. He won in 2007 and again in 2011.

During his time in MotoGP, Stoner rode for the factory teams of Ducati and Honda. He won a championship title with each team. Casey was born in Southport, Queensland, Australia. He started racing motorcycles at a very young age. To follow his dream, he moved to the United Kingdom to continue his racing career.

Casey Stoner first competed internationally in 2002. He became a MotoGP World Champion in 2007 while riding for Ducati. Many people admired his skill to push any motorcycle to its limits. He even won races on a Ducati when other teams like Honda and Yamaha had more advanced bikes.

His 2007 title was Ducati's only rider's championship for a long time. It was not until Francesco Bagnaia won in 2022 that Ducati had another premier class champion. In 2008 and 2009, Stoner was still a strong competitor. He won many races but found it hard to consistently beat Valentino Rossi and Yamaha.

Stoner started the 2009 season well. However, he had to miss three races due to a health issue that made him feel very tired. After leaving Ducati for Honda in 2010, Stoner won his second world championship in 2011. He won this title in a very strong way, with ten Grand Prix wins. He secured the championship by winning his home race with two races still left.

Before the 2012 French Grand Prix, Stoner announced he would retire from racing at the end of the 2012 season. He also won his home race, the Grand Prix of Australia, six times in a row from 2007 to 2012. In his final season, he missed some races due to an ankle injury from a crash. He ended his MotoGP career with a sixth straight win at Phillip Island. He also got a podium finish in his very last race.

In 2015, HRC announced that Stoner would race again in a special event, the 2015 Suzuka 8 Hours. He crashed out of this race because of a problem with his bike's throttle. Honda later apologized for the technical issue that caused his ankle and shoulder injuries. From 2016 to 2018, Stoner worked as a test rider for his former team, Ducati.

Casey Stoner's Racing Journey

Early Days in Racing

From 2000 to 2002, Casey Stoner competed in 125cc GP championships in Britain and Spain. In 2000, he won the English 125cc Aprilia Championship. After that, he moved to the 250cc GP World Championships in 2002. His first season in 250cc was challenging. He did not get any podium finishes in 15 races.

Success in 250cc World Championship

In 2005, Stoner returned to the 250cc world championship class. He raced for Lucio Cecchinello's team again, riding an Aprilia. Towards the end of the season, he became a serious challenger to the championship leader, Dani Pedrosa. However, a crash at his home Grand Prix in Phillip Island ended his chances. This allowed Pedrosa to win the title. Stoner still finished a strong second overall, with five impressive race victories that season.

MotoGP World Championship Highlights

2006: First Year in MotoGP

In October 2005, Stoner agreed to move to the MotoGP class for the 2006 season. He would race with Lucio Cecchinello's team and get support from Yamaha. Later, he tested a Honda RC211V bike with the Honda Pons team. But in December 2005, Stoner rejoined Cecchinello's team. They then made a deal with LCR Honda to race the RC211V for Stoner in 2006.

As a new rider, Stoner earned pole position in only his second MotoGP race. However, he crashed several times during the season. He finished 8th in the championship. His best result was a second place at the Turkish Grand Prix. He was leading that race until Marco Melandri passed him on the final corner.

2007: Becoming a Champion with Ducati

Stoner during the MotoGP pre-season test session at Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia in January 2007.

Stoner joined the Factory Ducati Team for the 2007 season. He rode the new 800cc Ducati Desmosedici GP7. Stoner started his Ducati career with a big win in the Qatar opener. He had a close battle with Valentino Rossi in that race.

Stoner went on to win ten races and get six pole positions. He won three of the first four races. This led him to his first GP title, winning by a large margin over Dani Pedrosa. His lowest finish was 6th place at Motegi. This was enough for him to win the title that day. It was the first premier class title for an Italian or non-Japanese bike maker since 1974. For his amazing performance in 2007, Stoner was named Young Australian of the Year.

2008: Six Wins and Runner-Up Season

In 2008, Stoner put the number 1 on his bike as the reigning champion. He started the 2008 season with a win in Qatar. After that, he had two races without a podium finish. He returned to the podium with a second place at Mugello. Then, he achieved seven pole positions in a row.

He turned three of these poles into wins. He led every lap at Donington and Assen. He also won in the rain at Sachsenring after a big crash during practice. This brought him close to the championship lead. However, crashes while fighting for the lead at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Brno, and Misano meant he could not defend his title. Stoner finished the 2008 season with six wins and was second to Rossi with 280 points.

2009: Health Challenges and Ducati Struggles

Stoner's bike in Brno

Stoner stayed with Ducati for the 2009 season. He started the season strongly, battling with Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo. However, he then faced a health issue that made him feel very tired during races. This left him behind in the championship points.

Doctors first thought he had anemia and stomach problems. But Stoner later said this was not quite right. After still struggling, he announced in August 2009 that he would miss three races to recover. He was later diagnosed with being sensitive to lactose. Mika Kallio filled in for him. Stoner returned to racing later in 2009. He finished second in Portugal and won strongly in Australia, leading the whole race. He said he no longer felt the tiredness that had bothered him. He then won another race in the rain in Malaysia. At the last race of 2009, Stoner crashed on the warm-up lap and missed the race. He ended the season with four wins and eight podiums, finishing fourth in the championship.

2010: Last Season with Ducati

After the 2009 season, Stoner was the fastest in testing the new 2010 Ducati bike. He got pole position for the first race in Qatar but crashed out while leading. He also crashed out of the third race at Le Mans. His first podium of the year came at Assen, even though he had arm pump issues.

Stoner did not get his first win until the thirteenth race of the season, the first-ever Aragon Grand Prix. This win started a streak of three victories in four races. He also won the Japanese Grand Prix and won for the fourth year in a row at Phillip Island. He finished fourth in the championship again. For 2011, Stoner moved to Honda Racing Corporation after four years with Ducati Corse. Valentino Rossi took his place at Ducati.

2011: Back to Honda and Second Championship

Stoner at the 2011 Czech Grand Prix

Stoner raced with the Repsol Honda Racing Team in 2011. His teammates were Dani Pedrosa and Andrea Dovizioso. In pre-season testing, Stoner was the fastest in all sessions. Stoner won the first race of the season in Qatar from pole position. He had been the quickest in all practice sessions too.

Stoner got pole position for the Spanish Grand Prix. He was running second in wet conditions when Valentino Rossi tried to pass him and crashed, taking Stoner down too. Stoner won three of the first five races, with victories in Le Mans and Catalunya. He also won at Silverstone in damp conditions and Laguna Seca. This gave him a 20-point lead over Jorge Lorenzo.

Stoner won the World Championship for the second time at his home track, Phillip Island, Australia. On his 26th birthday, Stoner won his ninth race of the season from his eleventh pole. His only challenger, Jorge Lorenzo, could not race due to a hand injury. This meant Stoner had an unbeatable lead. His win in the Australian MotoGP was his fifth in a row at his home race since 2007. This made him the only rider to have won at Phillip Island during the 800cc era of MotoGP.

2012: Final Season Before Retirement

Stoner started the 2012 season with wins at Jerez and Estoril. He had never won a MotoGP race at these tracks before. His win in Estoril put him in the championship lead. By finishing fourth at the Catalan Grand Prix, Stoner was off the podium for the first time in over a year. He won the Dutch TT at Assen, which put him level on points with Lorenzo.

He then had a final-lap retirement at the Sachsenring while battling his teammate Dani Pedrosa. Stoner finished only eighth at the Italian Grand Prix after going off track. He later said he was "not comfortable" on the bike. But he followed that with a fourth win of the season at Laguna Seca.

At the next race, Stoner crashed hard during qualifying for the Indianapolis Grand Prix. He tore ligaments in his ankle but was still able to race. He finished fourth in the race. Stoner then decided to have surgery on his ankle. This meant he missed three races, which took him out of the championship fight. Stoner wanted to be fully recovered for his home race in Australia. He returned at the Japanese Grand Prix in October. After returning, he finished fifth in Japan and third in Malaysia. Then, he won his home race for the sixth year in a row at Phillip Island.

Retirement from Racing

On May 17, 2012, Stoner announced that he would retire from MotoGP at the end of the 2012 season. He said he no longer enjoyed competing in the series. He also wanted to get away from the stress of MotoGP and spend more time with his family. In a 2014 interview, Stoner said he was enjoying life away from the sport and had no regrets about retiring. He also said he had no plans to return to racing.

Life After MotoGP

V8 Supercars Racing

After Stoner announced his retirement from MotoGP, there were rumors that he would start racing touring cars in 2013. Specifically, people thought he would join the Australian V8 Supercars series. This kind of move is rare but has happened before. For example, fellow Australian motorcycle champion Wayne Gardner also switched to touring car racing.

The rumors grew stronger when the V8 Supercars team Triple Eight Race Engineering announced that Red Bull, a long-time sponsor of Stoner, would be their main sponsor from 2013. After many denials, Stoner announced in January 2013 that he would indeed move to touring car racing. He signed a one-year contract with Triple Eight Race Engineering. Stoner raced in the second-tier Dunlop V8 Supercar Series for the 2013 season.

On February 27, 2013, Stoner showed off his car, sponsored by Red Bull and Pirtek. It was a Holden VE Commodore. His season was not very successful. He usually finished in the middle of the pack. His best finish was 5th place at Queensland Raceway. He ended the season 18th in the standings.

Testing for Repsol Honda

In 2013, Stoner signed with Honda to be a test rider. His job was to help develop new bikes. He continued this role until the end of 2014. He renewed his contract in 2015 for another season of test riding.

Return to Motorcycle Racing

Suzuka 8 Hours Race

After three years away from MotoGP, Casey Stoner returned to motorcycle racing in 2015. In July, Stoner competed in the Suzuka 8 Hours race. He rode a Honda CBR1000RR. His teammates were World Superbike rider Michael van der Mark and HRC test rider Takumi Takahashi. Their team qualified in fourth place.

While his team was leading the race, Stoner had a big crash. This happened because of a throttle problem that forced him to hit a barrier. The crash ended their race. Stoner broke his right shoulder blade and fractured his left shin bone. Honda investigated the bike and found that the throttle was stuck open. Honda officially apologized to Stoner for the mechanical failure.

Possible MotoGP Fill-in Ride

After the 2015 Qatar Grand Prix, Dani Pedrosa, a Honda MotoGP rider, needed surgery. This meant Pedrosa would miss two races. Stoner offered to fill in for Pedrosa for these two events. However, Honda decided not to use Stoner. They said they did not have a bike set up for him. They also mentioned that Casey was not familiar with the tracks.

Stoner was disappointed. He tweeted that it would have been an honor to ride for Dani Pedrosa. He also said he was not planning on winning, just helping a friend and having fun. Instead, Honda chose another test rider, Hiroshi Aoyama, to replace Dani Pedrosa.

Return to Ducati Team

In 2016, Casey Stoner returned to the Ducati Corse Team as a test rider for the 2016 MotoGP season. This ended his five years with Honda. Stoner's main job with Ducati was to be a test rider. There was also talk that he might race in some events as a wild card. Stoner took part in the official pre-season tests in Malaysia. He was the fastest Ducati rider there. He finished the last day of testing with the fifth-best time overall.

Later in April, Stoner thought about racing at the Argentine Grand Prix to fill in for an injured rider. But he decided not to. Ducati's manager said that Stoner's physical fitness was not yet ready for competition. He added that Stoner still lacked strength. Ultimately, Stoner did not compete in any races that season.

Awards and Recognition

Stoner was named the 2008 Young Australian of the Year for his great MotoGP performance in 2007. In 2013, he was given the title of Member of the Order of Australia (AM). This was for his important contributions to motorcycle racing.

The FIM (the international motorcycle racing body) named him a Legend in October 2013. This happened before the 2013 Australian motorcycle Grand Prix. In October 2015, he was added to the Sport Australia Hall of Fame. The third corner at Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit is named "Stoner Corner" in his honor.

Personal Life

Stoner met Adriana Tuchyna in 2003. They started a relationship in 2005 and got married in Adelaide on January 6, 2007. In August 2011, Stoner announced that his wife was expecting their first child. Their daughter, Alessandra Maria, was born on February 16, 2012. On October 6, 2017, their second daughter, Caleya Maria, was born.

Stoner wore protective gear from Spidi from 2002 to 2005. Then he wore Alpinestars gear from 2006 to 2012. After retiring from MotoGP, he still wore Alpinestars gear. After his health issues in 2009, Stoner learned he was sensitive to lactose.

In 2019, Stoner shared that he was living with a condition that caused him to feel very tired. In 2020, he became an ambassador for Emerge Australia. This group helps people with similar health challenges. In 2022, Stoner also shared that he experienced severe anxiety and mental distress during his MotoGP career. He described feeling very down between races and being afraid of letting his team down if he did not win. He said the anxiety was worse the better he performed. He also learned to manage his condition as he got older. He thought there might be a link between his mental health and his tiredness, though this link has not been fully proven by doctors.

Career Statistics

Stoner's most successful race was the Australian motorcycle Grand Prix. He won this race six times in a row until he retired. He never lost at this event on a factory bike. His next best races were Qatar with four wins, and then Great Britain and Laguna Seca with three wins each. Stoner won every different Grand Prix event that was available during his racing career. He won 21 different Grand Prix events in total.

Grand Prix motorcycle racing

By season

By class

Races by year

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position, races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Suzuka 8 Hours results

Year	Team	Co-Riders	Bike	Pos
2015	MuSASHi RT HARC-PRO.	Michael van der Mark Takumi Takahashi	Honda CBR1000RR	Ret

Images for kids

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  The podium after the 2010 Australian Grand Prix, with Stoner flanked by Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi

See also

In Spanish: Casey Stoner para niños