MotoGP icon Casey Stoner revealed he “didn’t have the confidence” to ride in the same way as rival Valentino Rossi during his racing career.
The double World Champion was notorious for his adaptability to his machinery, garnering the Australian great praise particularly after his stint at Ducati.
However, Stoner downplayed the skills and adaptability that were required for him to achieve his two world titles in 2007 and 2011.
“I knew I couldn’t do what my competitors could; I didn’t have the confidence,” he told SPEEDWEEK.com.
“One year in particular, we didn’t have the bike we needed, so we took an unconventional approach.
“The attitude we rode with? No one in their right mind would have enjoyed it, but damn it, it worked.
“I had to change my riding style, my perspective on the tracks, and the way we usually approached a circuit because the bike had different characteristics in different parts of the corner and along the racing line.”
Despite receiving acclaim for his and overachieving on inferior machinery after retirement, Stoner admitted he never felt “that good” while he was racing.
He also suggested feeling “too proud” can impact riders’ chances of improving on their success, which he could not risk against the likes of Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo.
“While I was racing, I never thought like that,” he revealed.
“I never had that arrogance of thinking I was the best. I had guys like Jorge, Vale, [who I had to beat].
“Maybe I got a little cocky in 2007 when I was doing very well: it was my first success. I was very young. But I learned my lesson quickly, for which I am very grateful.
“I then started to see things a little differently. I think you have to take your pride out of the equation.”
Casey Stoner laments ‘lack of respect’ before MotoGP retirement
Stoner also admitted he “never experienced” the respect he felt he deserved until almost a decade after his retirement.
The Australian was hit with frequent suggestions that his machinery and tyres played a bigger role in what he achieved than his own abilities.
This, Stoner explained, led to a desire to “get more” out of himself and increased his chances of success.
“I always tried to get more out of myself and my surroundings, rather than saying, ‘It’s incredible what we’ve achieved,’” he explained.
“I think it wasn’t until eight to ten years after my retirement that I truly felt I was getting the respect I had hoped for. During my active racing career, I never experienced that respect.”
The Australian also admitted he tried to keep his cards close to his chest throughout his racing career to keep his rivals guessing – which worked more often than it failed.
“There were always rumours about why I was so fast, this and that.
“I never tried to enlighten too many people because I didn’t want to show my competitors how deliberate I was and how meticulously I planned everything.
“I wanted to keep them guessing and make them believe that I only knew one speed: full throttle.
“But if you look back at my races, it was like poker. I never revealed my plan to them at any point during a race. Sometimes it didn’t work!
“But considering that I won almost twice as many races as my competitors, I think I did a bit better than them. In my opinion, sometimes even with a machine that was worse than theirs.”
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