Now I never expected this

[Dilly]

Reigning world champion Casey Stoner will retire at the end of 2012, the Australian saying he’s lost his passion and love for racing at a time when the Repsol Honda rider is arguably at the peak of his career.
Looks like an opening for Vale perhaps?

[frez]

Maybe he is only happy when he can slag off a team for not giving him a good enough bike, maybe he should move back to Ducati and stop riding a boring Honda.

[Iggy]

Lets face it, the poor sod's being doing it for more than half his life. He probably fancies a change.

Probably achieved more than he ever expected and has earned enough to set himself and his family up for life and pay his folks back for all the hardship they went through to help get him there.

Go for it I say - there's more to life than wasting it doing something you don't enjoy anymore..........  


Iggy

[Satsuma Mick]

He probably got bored with it.  I know I am. Moto 2 and 3 are much more interesting.

[Juvecu]

He's got a lovely good lady and a little brat... erm... I mean kid on the way so he's got all the reason to be focused somewhere else with less risk of getting killed. Who knows, by the end of this year he might have changed his mind again

[2112]

Will we miss his magnetic charm and glowing personality ? Christ, he makes Ben Spies look interesting... Could be a slot for Cal however  

[Fatbelly]

I would like to wish a long and happy retirement to him. He's a great rider, a great racer and a whining little weasel.

[Fatbelly]

Mystery illness? He wasn't ill he was just too thin and didn't have the strength to last a full race. As soon as he put 4 or 5kg on he was fine again. Moto GP riders are jockeys now - but the tiny Spanish blokes have learned from his mistake.

[MartinW]

Looks like his replacement is going to be Marc Marquez, on a two year deal, straight on to a factory bike.

[Fatbelly]

From the point of view of Honda, Marquez costs several millions less than Rossi, and a lot less than Cal.