Casey Stoner pinpoints the big issue ‘nobody can see’ with the 2027 MotoGP regulations

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Casey Stoner is in attendance at the Austrian Grand Prix this weekend. Stoner will take part in the legends’ parade along with riders like Mick Doohan and Dani Pedrosa.

The world feed coverage has shown Stoner taking in the track action from multiple garages. He was pictured in conversation with the Ducati duo of Marc Marquez and Francesco Bagnaia prior to the weekend.

His rare appearance has given the media the opportunity to probe his views on the current state of MotoGP. Marquez’s almost inevitable title win will complete an epic comeback story, but the competition has certainly been limited.

One of the reasons Stoner abruptly retired at the end of 2012, just a year after winning his second and final world championship, was that he’d fallen out of love with the sport. He was only 27 years old.

Casey Stoner says racing will suffer under the new MotoGP rules

Stoner was asked for his opinion on the major rule changes that are looming for the 2027 season. The bikes will become less powerful, dropping from 1000cc to 850.

There will also be a move towards simplified aerodynamics. The changes are designed to improve racing and safety at the same time.

But Stoner expects the rulemakers to fail on both counts. With shorter braking zones and more turbulent air, he predicts it will be even more difficult to pass.

The impassioned Australian can’t understand why the sport continues, in his eyes, to ‘go the wrong way’. He was speaking to The Race, among others, at a packed media session.

“Not even close,” was his appraisal of the new rules. “Not even remotely close. You’re making the bike lighter, so then the braking point becomes less.

“You’re actually going to be slower at the top speed because they don’t have this ride height device now, so it’s going to be less top speed, which means a lighter bike, going into the corner, braking points are shorter, less opportunity for overtaking.

“They’ve still got winglets and they’re going to be carrying probably higher corner speeds as well. So that’s going to create turbulent air on a lighter bike, they’re still going to be having stability issues, they’re still going to be having tyre temperature issues.

“I just don’t know how nobody can see the problems, that each step they do in this direction is making it go the wrong way.”

Casey Stoner’s advice for Francesco Bagnaia amid Marc Marquez rout

Stoner also reflected on the current season, which has seen Marquez completely banish the expected challenge from Bagnaia. He thinks it’s the best version of the Spaniard the sport has ever seen.

Still, Stoner believes Bagnaia will ‘benefit’ from Marquez’s presence. Perhaps, in the long run, he’ll be thankful for the ostensibly brutal experiences of 2025.

• READ MORE: Casey Stoner once recalled how Valentino Rossi had the media ‘wrapped around his finger’ during their MotoGP rivalry

Neil Hodgson says Stoner was even better than Marquez at getting up to speed during a race weekend. He would crush the field in a practice session by rapidly finding the limit.

The two riders have that enthralling aggression in common. From the neutral standpoint, it’s a shame that they’ve never shared the same track.