Psychological games are part of MotoGP and are nothing new. For Casey Stoner, who was a rider more known for what he did on the track than off it, these are a way to disguise some ‘weaknesses’ of those who play them.
The two-time world champion, with Ducati and Honda, spoke to TNT Sports on the subject and looked at the current grid, saying that the big rivalries still exist, but are not as visible as in his time as a rider: ‘They are there. They are just under a veil. You have to look for them. They are there! I understand that everyone at home wants to see the details. Some competitors like it, they think that’s how you get into people’s heads’.
Regarding mind games, the Australian believes that these can go wrong if not done well: ‘But, in my opinion, everything you do when trying to get into someone’s head and doing it the wrong way? You just make them stronger’.
If these “games” happened with him as the target, he recalls and advises: ‘Everyone who did this to me? You learn from everything they do. The reason why they do everything. That reveals many of their weaknesses. You can tell when they are trying to compensate for certain things when they are trying to intimidate you’.
