Marco Bezzecchi
Casey Stoner had one of the shortest, but most impactful MotoGP careers of all time before his shock retirement at the age of 26.
He became champion twice in the span of seven seasons, with two different manufacturers, and had a wonderful way of extracting more from a bike than anyone else could.
Stoner started and ended his career with Honda and was able to depart without having suffered too many injuries. Marc Marquez is a reminder of the toil that riders go through.
It would have been fascinating for MotoGP fans to watch Stoner and Marquez fight each other, but the Aussie got to exit at the top of his game. It’s a feat that very few manage in top-level sports.
How would Marc Marquez have performed against Casey Stoner?
Stoner sees ‘similarities’ with Marquez, despite never getting the chance to fight with him on track. The Spaniard served as the perfect candidate to replace him for the 2013 season, though.
Marquez was easier to work with than Stoner because he was a natural in front of the media. It made life a little easier for his colleagues.
READ MORE: Casey Stoner once beat his teammate by a minute in the ‘easiest’ MotoGP race of his life
Casey Stoner admitted he needed ‘a lot of luck’ to reach MotoGP in 2006
Davide Tardozzi felt Stoner was a league above because he had such raw natural talent on a motorcycle, and almost always knew how to go fast.
After retiring, he only felt one regret. Stoner wishes his family had seen his ‘dedication’ to his career, and just how hard he worked to be a success.
Reflecting on his arrival in 2006, he told MCNews.com.au how a lot of ‘luck’ was involved in him reaching the premier class.
“A lot of luck,” he said. “A lot of correct guidance from my dad. A lot of help from the right people. [I moved to England] Basically because I wasn’t allowed to race in Australia until 16 on the types of bikes that you can race over in Europe a lot younger.
“We thought it would be a little bit of a head start. If I had stayed in Australia and gone through and started at 16, I probably wouldn’t be there until I was at least 22. I think we made the right move and graduated up to the MotoGP class this year.”
READ MORE: Michele Pirro has seen the same ‘important’ quality in Marc Marquez that he saw in Casey Stoner
How did Casey Stoner perform during the 2006 MotoGP season?
Stoner’s debut season with LCR Honda was quite impressive. In his first five races, he finished no lower than sixth.
That run included a second place at the Turkish Grand Prix, marking what would be his best result of the campaign.
Overall, he managed an eighth-place finish, but retired too often. Everything changed when Ducati snapped him up for the 2007 campaign.
He dominated that season, winning by 125 points over Dani Pedrosa and proving just how incredible his talents were.
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