Casey Stoner started to lose ‘respect’ for Valentino Rossi after one MotoGP overtake

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Casey Stoner is widely regarded as one of the greatest riders in MotoGP history.

His career in the premier class was relatively short – given he debuted in 2006 with Honda and retired in 2012. But the Aussie sure made an impact.

After finishing eighth in his debut season, Stoner moved to the factory Ducati team in 2007. He went on to win the championship that year by 125 points over Dani Pedrosa.

The 39-year-old returned to Honda in 2011 – when he won his second title with 10 wins and 16 podiums – before calling time on his career the following year.

In total, Stoner grabbed 38 wins and 69 podiums in 115 starts in MotoGP, putting him among the greats in motorcycle racing.

Casey Stoner lost ‘respect’ for Valentino Rossi after his overtake in 2008 at Laguna Seca

Like many riders in MotoGP, Stoner looked up to legendary Italian rider Valentino Rossi. But not many would have expected the fierce rivalry that would boil up between the two.

The pair clashed during Stoner’s Ducati days as they fought with each other for the championship. The Aussie lost the 2008 title to Rossi by 93 points, with one key moment sparking the tension between the two riders.

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Speaking on Nico Abad’s YouTube channel, journalist Mela Chercoles reflected on the 2008 race in Laguna Seca. While battling for the lead, Rossi passed Stoner by running wide and cutting back onto the track.

The Italian went on to win the race on his way to his sixth title, and it was this race where Stoner began to lose ‘respect’ for the rider he once idolised.

“There is a very important race which is the one that reflects the absolute and real rivalry between Valentino Rossi and Casey Stoner”, recalled Chercoles.

“Casey admired Valentino like most of the riders who came to MotoGP and Laguna 2008 is a race in which Casey Stoner arrives with half a second faster pace per lap than Valentino Rossi.

“And Valentino intends to win that race by fair means or foul against Stoner. How does he do it? He took the lead, he got away, he pulled away.

“It’s the famous Laguna Seca race of the corkscrew overtaking where Valentino goes off the track, cuts back and overtakes him. Stoner didn’t like that at all.

“And what’s more, that race ends with Stoner on the ground and he blames Valentino Rossi for having braked too early, which forces him to brake when he doesn’t expect it and he falls.

“Valentino comes out victorious, Valentino is going to win that world championship and Stoner says that he is beginning to lose the admiration and respect that he had for Valentino Rossi.”

Valentino Rossi continued in MotoGP until his retirement in 2021

Rossi became a seven-time MotoGP champion in 2009 with Yamaha. The 45-year-old has the second most titles in the premier class’ history only behind fellow Italian Giacomo Agostini (eight).

After finishing third in 2010, Rossi moved to Ducati where he spent two years with the Bologna-based manufacturer. But he could not reach the same heights, failing to register a win before moving back to Yamaha in 2013.

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The Italian went on to spend the next eight seasons with the team, finishing runner-up in 2014, 2015 and 2016. Rossi lost out to Jorge Lorenzo in 2015 by just five points.

He won his final race in MotoGP at Assen in 2017, carrying on for another four years before retiring from motorcycle racing in 2021.

Today, Rossi is still heavily involved in MotoGP as he owns his own team VR46. The Italian is still racing competitively, now on four wheels instead of two with BMW’s endurance programme.