Casey Stoner
 

Not wanting to derail the Philip Island thread.

I haven't been watching MotoGP for too long but I don't get what these comments are about.
I've seen the last race and you could see how the rear of the bike was sliding, so he said a few words about it after the race, so now he's a moaner? Every rider complains about something.
Why did he want to be faster? Because it was Rossi behind him, if he'd have a chance to overtake he'd go for it. Stoner simply wanted to build a bigger gap.

As for me, I like the guy, especially the fact that after a break in racing, he can win a race on a bike which no one else can control.

Or is this some sort of Brit/Aussie thing I don't get?

Re: Casey Stoner
 

He always complains. He didn't NEED to go faster, because as you say Rossi was behind him - but NOT getting past him.

He was clearly the fastest this weekend, and he should take his win gracefully and STFU. He isn't the only one on track without a 'perfect' bike and setup. All the riders would want an improvement in one aspect or another, its just how it is.

If he has a problem with the bike that is causing him a real concern, he should take it to his team. After all, people listening to him in a press conference can't fix it for him can they?

Re: Casey Stoner
 

:notworthy:

when i saw the heading i thought, here we go again.. stoner bashing..

i dont understand it.. the booing at the donnington motogp.. he cant open his mouth without someone having a go at him..

i am a huge Stoner fan... given up trying to understand the reasoning behind the Stoner bashing....

Re: Casey Stoner
 

Maybe he's chasing perfection, that's what all champions do.

They say the Duc is impossible for most people to ride, but he can, so I guess he hass the right to whinge a bit

I watched it yesterday and I thought he was bloomin great & I'm not a Rossi fan. Pity about Lorrenzo stuffing it up Haydens rear end though;)

Re: Casey Stoner
 

Yup, but you have to admit, it doesn't take The Doctor long to change that, hence the need for a bigger gap.
You want to see riders going at their maximum performance, not people backing off becausee they feel they have a safe gap to the rider behind.
That's what it's all about
Fair enough, but he isn't the only one to do so. In fact whenever a driver/rider has a problem he talks about it, but only CS gets the abuse.

Re: Casey Stoner
 

I am beginning to form new opinons of casey stoner. He made rossi work hard on sunday, really hard. And the way he could control that ducati through turn 3 with it sideways! Just brilliant. I can't say I'll ever be his biggest fan, but to go away for so long, then come back and only his second race back, with all the pressure of the home crowd, to win and so convincingly pummel rossi into submission (he visibly backed off in the last half a lap) - well, that deserves respect

Re: Casey Stoner
 

I thought it was interesting when Ryder and Moody (and the other one) were talking about him, one of them said that EVERYONE in the paddock thinks that Casey has majestic throttle control. All this talk of "He just cracks the throttle wide open and lets the electronics do all the work for him" is just rubbish and it has been from day one. There've been loads of threads on this forum, with loads of crap written about Stoner. I don't get it either.

Re: Casey Stoner
 

My opinion has vastly changed twice over the years I have gone from being a big fan through 250's into Moto GP to a hater last season to having the utmost respect for him this season. To give up any chance of a world championship (when lets face it, he's good enough to win it), to go and fix himself.

Yes he moans, but, he wants perfection.

Re: Casey Stoner
 

He does want perfection. He said in his first press conference back about this- that if he wins but did not get the best from himself or the bike, then he's not happy. He races the track- the other guys are just in his way.

Re: Casey Stoner
 

Apart from the GOAT he is the nearest thing we have to another GOAT.There have been very few great riders who have also been nice well rounded people as well as winners.Stoner is another great rider who may not be your best mate,but look at the others.Lorenzo?Hardly mister nice guy.Going back---Doohan Foggy?Miserable *******s at best but demons on the track.Even Barry Sheene who has had his personality re written by history was a thoroughly nasty bit of work when it suited him.Live with it and enjoy the races.

Re: Casey Stoner
 

Agreed, I dont really bother with the after race interviews anymore, its either meaningless / contentless PR speak or whinging.

Nice blokes dont win races...

Re: Casey Stoner
 

its nice to read more positive input re casey.. nice one guys :thumbsup::smt041:smt008

Re: Casey Stoner
 

I don't like Stoner because he's an ugly git yet his wife is hotter than my girlfriend :(

Re: Casey Stoner
 

I also don't understand the Stoner hatred. Whilst he's definitely a "unique" character, I don't believe he deserves the amount of grief he gets from MotoGP followers.

If we're going off post race talk, Casey wanted to be able to go faster, Dani Pedrosa basically said that Stoner and Rossi were too fast. This demonstrates to me who's got the real winning mentality, and don't the results show it?

Perhaps Casey's a bit like the rest of us after a hard day at work and wishes his job could be just that bit easier?;)

Re: Casey Stoner
 

I'm not one to give him grief but from my perspective he comes across as a bit of a willy when for instance he has out qualified everyone, won the race yet still finds something to whinge about. It basically saying to all the other riders "I beat you but I could have gone quicker"...doesn't seem very modest and sportsman like to me.

Re: Casey Stoner
 

Ok, and?
Don't believe that he's trying to show off by that. Do you say the same when Lorenzo/Rossi/Pedrosa say they had a problem with the bike (which they do)? Let me guess... :rolleyes:

And if other riders see it like that... well, they've been outraced by someone who missed 3 races due to illness on a bike which was sliding all over the place.

Re: Casey Stoner
 

Guess away...

Rossi's would not have as many fans as he does if he came across as a willy. His usual response in the press conference when he wins iso to say the bike was great, the setting was great, the pace was great, thanks to the team, thanks to Jeremey.

You said in your opening post that you've not been watching the GP for that long so maybe the regularity of complaints/moans, despite when he's been in a winning position, hasn't come to your attention yet.

Re: Casey Stoner
 

Not so long means 2 years. If you count the on/off races before that - 5 years. Still don't know what it's all about.

As for the the moans, if a reporter asks him about the race, what is he supposed to say? "yes the bike was great" when we saw it sliding into corners - actually this could work in his favour :D..
Just says it like it is.

As for Rossi, well.. you cannot compare anyone to Rossi.

Re: Casey Stoner
 

Example:

Rossi - The bike, it was, how you say, not so good, I do the turn (waves hand) and the rear, it spin, so we could not be so fast as Casey today.

Casey - We didn't have the best setup we could, I wanted to go faster, but I couldn't, the rear was sliding. *frowns*

They say the same things, just in a different way.

Re: Casey Stoner
 

I've been watching it avidly for a good while now, and he ALWAYS moans. He moans when he wins,loses, doesn't race, and has a face like a skelped **** most of the time.

He moaned recently because the crowd somewhere booed him!](*,)

Re: Casey Stoner
 

I cetrainly don't HATE him, it's just boring to listen o him whinge so much. He's never satisfied, it seems.

Re: Casey Stoner
 

+1, I totallt agree.

Re: Casey Stoner
 

Just shows he wants to be able to push as much as he can, not as much as the bike let's him.
Again, you can't compare anyone to Valentino.

Re: Casey Stoner
 

As fantastic a rider as he is (and he will go down as one of the greats), as a person I just can't be doing with him.

Re: Casey Stoner
 

+1

Rossi just does PR a lot better which is what the public sees

Re: Casey Stoner
 

I've struggled with this for some time too. Stoner is a great rider, I guess if you don't like him it's easy to ignore that but he is without doubt one of the 3 (possibly 4 if you count Pedrosa) who have the ability to win a championship (when all other things are equal) they are in a different class to the rest. Not surprisingly many also dislike Lorenzo, possibly it's the same people. I think some people just have total focus on Rossi and seem to hate anyone who chanllenges him . I also favour Rossi and prefer him to win BUT want him to be pushed and challenged by as many others as possible and the more talented they are the more validity they give to Rossi's race and championship victories. MotoGP would reach F1 levels of tedium without these riders

The other issue of course is that we've all become used to Rossi's media savvy personality and expect other riders to be the same but this doesn't explain why people interpret his words and actions differently to those of others. When Rossi discusses how his race went and mentions any quirk he's had with the bike (or anything else) he's just seen as giving interesting information, when Stoner does it he's whinging, when he pulls a post race prank he's the ultimate joker, when Lorenzo does he's an idiot. They just can't win can they. I guess that they annoy so many folk is a measure of their ability.

Re: Casey Stoner
 

Casey's attitude really seemed to have changed after Estoril. He was really happy & bouncy after that race, and his opening comment to Matt Roberts of the BBC was a classic: "Don't worry, mate, I'm not going to spew on you this time!"

Normal service seemed to have been resumed this time, prompting Steve Parrish to comment, "Would you like some cheese with your whine?"

It is a perception thing, I think. He's obviously very driven and a perfectionist, to boot. The comment about how much faster he could have gone if the team had sorted out the bike's grip issues are meant, I think, more along the lines of "Yes, good race, but if we'd sorted those issues out can you imagine what the lap times would have been like?" Sadly, it comes across like he's complaining. And no-one ever complemented Mick Doohan on his post-race interview technique.

What gets me is how little time he seems to spend on the bike. During Saturday's qualifying he did about four or five runs of three or four laps each. He goes out, goes faster than anyone else, then straight back into the pits. How does he do that? None of this warming the tyres up or -- seemingly -- taking the wrong direction with setup. Even during free practice his runs are noticeably shorter than people like Rossi and Lorenzo.

Watching him and, to a lesser extent, Rossi slide those bikes around in the latter part of this weekend's race was a real pleasure, I have to say.

Re: Casey Stoner
 

A few years ago at donnington I was watching at the exit of the Esses. ****ing wet, Stonner comes round and it was easy to see that he cracks throttle like he is on a 50cc scooter leaving the lights. That was at the extreme end of things but is certainly not as you describe. Its not rubbish at all. Ducati were away ahead of everybody else with their rider aids.

Rate the guy tho' and the Stonner booing I have seen is embarrassing. Zero at Redgate this year I was glad to hear. I take it the "whinning" was on the BBC, cos he was fine in the official interviews.

Roll-on next sunday!

Re: Casey Stoner
 

There was no 'whining', Steve Parish just called it that cos he's a kernob who loves Rossi more than anything in the world. Casey said that if he'd got the setup he wanted then he could have gone a bit faster. That's not whining, it's a fact. It may not be the catchy sound-bite that people want to hear but there's nothing wrong with him saying it.

I'm so pleased that Casey is back on form and pushing the boundaries again - how boring would that race have been if Rossi had been won the race out on his own 20 seconds ahead of 2nd place?

Anyone who bashes Stoner is just not a fan of the racing. He's a genius on a bike. Who else could have two months off and then come back and finish well ahead of Rossi one race and then fend him off riding an absolute perfect race in his 2nd race back? No-one.

Re: Casey Stoner
 

Doohan or Rossi dont complain, constructive critism yes but blatent moaning no.

Re: Casey Stoner
 

So, it's just the fact that he's not likeable for whatever reason.

That sounds similar to what merlin427 said.

Re: Casey Stoner
 

I don't see anyone criticising Stoner the rider. If you look back at my original post in the other thread, you'll notice that I was praising his riding. His personality on the other hand is obnoxious.

Re: Casey Stoner
 

When rossi was complaining about his rear grip he finished 4th!! Fair enough!

When Stoner was complaining about his rear grip he had just ridden a fantastic ride! And kept the best in the word behing him. Fair comments would have been to say
"great race, however a few tweaks will show there is still more to come!!"


AND I AM A STONER FAN!!!!! but he needs to do himself some favours!

Re: Casey Stoner
 

But this is top level motorcycle racing, not Big Brother. Why does he have to display a happy, bouncy personality for people to not get on his back everytime he demonstrates his awesome skills?

His personality is not at all obnoxious anyway IMO. He is a young man with incredible talent who has limelight forced on him even though he doesn't really like it. Yes, the limelight goes hand in hand with modern sports but he doesn't ask for it or want it, he just wants to race motorcycles. He is forced to speak to journalists who ask him questions and when he answers honestly rather than just saying 'Good race, thanks to all the team' he gets stick from 'fans'.

Re: Casey Stoner
 

Its nice to see a change from a rider saying things are not perfect, you get so many rider who after the race say everything was perfect for them when i quite clearly wasnt

Re: Casey Stoner
 

no one can lol he has certainly tamed that ducati :smt038

Re: Casey Stoner
 

Stoner is a great rider...

He can ride the Ducati. I simply don't think he is some messiah but somehow he can ride a bike that Melandri, Capirex and Hayden can't...why?...dunno...but too say he is a better rider than Melandri a million per cent is bogus. It may be he is riding a bike which suits his riding style.

Certainly would put Lorenzo ahead of him.

I don't like Carl Fogarty but I can respect the rider but not the man.

Re: Casey Stoner
 

That's ridiculous, anyone that bashes stoner doesn't like racing? Please. I was GUTTED when Stoner was out, he IS a genius, and amazing on the bike but he is also a whinging git.

I'd rather have him in racing too, otherwise it would be a procession. I want to see exciting racing.

Laguna Seca was a classic I think you'll agree- unfortunately so was the Stoner whining and downright rude and pedantic behaviour afterwards-refusing to shake Rossi's hand was utterly pathetic.

Stoner is a genius off the bike, and a 5 year old kid off it.

Re: Casey Stoner
 

I'm with shonadoll. It's not about his on-track skills, more the lack of off-track skills. Bashing equates to not liking racing?!?! Hmm...not exactly how I would put it.

There is always a good guy and bad guy in MotoGP though, and just happens that usually it's the one who is challenging Rossi who is labelled as the bad guy. Used to be Biagi, then it was 'cry baby' Hayden now it's Stoner...or in his absence, Lorenzo.

A whine after a clear win is unsportsman like in my opinion. Regardless of what sport it is. The rest of the field ride their nuts off, then the winner says he had problems and could have gone faster. Rubbing salt?

Re: Casey Stoner
 

I take it you wouldn't mind someone hitting you coming out of the corkscrew corner?
Emotions took over, that's all.

So from now on everyone who came in first and says he wasn't 100% happy with the bike is whining?