Casey Stoner Will Not Race in 2016 MotoGP; Ducati CEO Confirms

Australian MotoGP rider Casey Stoner who returned to Ducati last month as their test rider and brand ambassador for the year 2016 will not be participating in any races now. Claudio Domenicali, Ducati CEO confirms that the legend will be testing the 2016 and 2017 MotoGP bikes but won't be taking part in any races.

Casey Stoner used to be a part of Ducati under which he managed to clinch two MotoGP titles in 2007 and 2011. Post that, Stoner retired in 2012 and joined hands with Honda Racing Company (HRC). He continued testing Honda motorcycles till 2015 after which his contract with the company came to an end. Well aware of this, Ducati approached Stoner and gained him back as their test rider and brand ambassador for the upcoming season.

One of the prime reasons why Stoner left HRC and joined Ducati was the former’s denial to race as a substitute for Dani Pedrosa, who was going through a surgery at that point of time. Stoner had earlier reported that he won't be taking part in MotoGP, even as a wild card entry. However, after seeing Dani Pedrosa unfit to race for 4 to 6 weeks, Stoner decided to help Honda by being a replacement for at least one race. Honda declined the offer due to which Casey decided to part ways with the team. Casey Stoner competed in Suzuka 8-hour race in which he got crashed at a high speed resulting in a serious shoulder and leg injury. HRC returned to Stoner with a wildcard offer, which the racer declined and finally left. 

The Ducati factory team will consist of Andrea Dovizioso and Andrea Iannone and their target is to win at least 2 races in the 2016 season. The satellite team, Pramac Ducati will be commanded by Danilo Petrucci and Scott Redding. Stoner was recently seen in Italy at the Ducati headquarters doing adjustments to his bike and is all set to appear with Ducati in the year 2016. Stay tuned for more updates!