Aussie MotoGP champion Casey Stoner to retire in 2012

Breaking: Australian two-time MotoGP World Champion Casey Stoner will hang up his helmet at the end of the year. Only 26 years old, Stoner is currently leading the 2012 Championship but will settle down with his wife and daughter in 2013. 

“After a long time thinking, a lot of time talking with my family and my wife, this has been coming for a couple of years now but at the end of this 2012 season I will be not racing in the 2013 championship,” said Stoner in a statement. “I will be finishing my career at the end of this season in MotoGP, and go forward in different things in my life. After so many years of doing this sport which I love, and which myself and my family made so many sacrifices for, after so many years of trying to get to where we have gotten to at this point, this sport has changed a lot and it has changed to the point where I am not enjoying it. I don’t have the passion for it and so at this time it’s better if I retire now.”

Stoner has not ruled out a switch to V8 Supercars or continuing his career in another form of motorsport. He stated that it was something he was definitely interested in doing but was not the reason why he is retiring from MotoGP. He also said that the birth of his baby daughter has nothing to do with his decision.

Stoner has won 35 races currently with a World Championship for Ducati and Honda.

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