MOTEGI, Japan: World champion Casey Stoner returned from injury and vowed to go full out at this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix, shrugging off chances he may stall teammate Dani Pedrosa’s MotoGP title bid.
The Australian has missed the last three races after injuring his right knee in a qualifying accident at the Indianapolis Grand Prix in August. The accident made it mathematically impossible for him to retain his crown.
His Repsol Honda teammate Pedrosa has won three of the last four races to trail championship leader and Yamaha ace Jorge Lorenzo by 33 points with four races remaining in the season.
With 25 points going to the winner of each race, Stoner could still eat into the Lorenzo-Pedrosa battle toward his planned retirement at the end of the season.
“It’s actually really good to be back,” Stoner said at the Motegi track Thursday. “It was not the way I wanted to finish my last season, with the injury and having to sit out some races and not having a shot at the championship.
“But we’re here to do the best job we can — from here onto the end of the season. I feel even fresh so we’ll just have to see how I get on with the bike tomorrow,” said Stoner, who underwent surgery on August 30 and will turn 27 next week.
When asked what he would do if his team tells him to help Pedrosa’s bid for his first MotoGP title, Stoner replied: “They haven’t and I don’t believe they will.
“As I’ve always said in the past, for me the championship is won fair and outright and not because of the result of the teammate helping you out,” said the 2007 and 2011 MotoGP champion.
Stoner won four races before the injury, which knocked him out of title contention. He and the two front-running Spaniards have taken all the 14 races among themselves so far this season.
Lorenzo, who won six races before finishing runner-up to Pedrosa in the last round at Aragon in Spain, said he was ready for another win.
Stoner vows to fight on after injury
