Could Casey Stoner return to help MotoGP? “The right situation? Enough power…”

The two-time MotoGP champion rode his 2007 title-winning Ducati alongside Francesco Bagnaia at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in a rare treat for motorcycle racing fans.

He then lambasted the technical rules that he believes are restricting MotoGP’s popularity.

Asked if he would work alongside series promoter Dorna to oversee major change, he told The Race: “I’m very cautious to get into a position where all of a sudden they are using me as a voice that they are able to manipulate, to take me out of the way. 

“I’d rather cause more problems being on the outside with an outside perspective.

“That’s something I feel I can bring to the table because I’m not locked into something seeing slow progression. I’m on the outside seeing these big chunks of change over the years.

Pecco Bagnaia & Casey Stoner together at Goodwood#MotoGP pic.twitter.com/8X4WQqyBJv

— Crash MotoGP (@crash_motogp) July 16, 2023

“If it was the right situation with the right contract? Where I had enough power? Then I’d love to make some changes.

“It is hard – I’ve been there. But I’d like to be there for the right amount of time to make the changes taking in everyone’s perspective.

“You’ve got to take the manufacturers’ perspective, but what they’re not doing right now is taking in the riders’ perspective.

“The show, the danger, the more accidents we’re seeing these days? It’s ridiculous.”

Ducati legend Stoner is advocating for an overhaul of the technical regulations.

He demanded: “Winglets, gone. Ride height devices, gone. Anti-wheelie, gone. Traction control cut to a safety level and nothing more. Half this shit needs to go.

“There needs to be a cap on the rules that is there for 10 years, so that manufacturers can reasonably catch up to each other and not keep moving this imaginary rule system that doesn’t really seem to be there.

“Even when I was there, I remember people saying ‘oh we can change the rules to fit that’. What’s the point of a rulebook if you can change it?

“All of this stuff, it’s pushing the price up so far, and you’ve got half the bikes on the grid dictating who’s allowed to beat who. It’s not fair and it’s not the way a world championship should be.”