Casey Stoner had a major rivalry with Valentino Rossi in MotoGP and had previously recalled how the Italian made him “a villain” while having the ability to “play” with the press. But the Australian wasn’t the only “victim” of the Italian, as he himself recalled, regarding one of the most beloved and consensual (former) riders of recent years: Dani Pedrosa.
‘Many people were against Dani Pedrosa for the same reason. They didn’t like his seriousness. But we saw Dani’s character emerge later’ Stoner recalled to the Ducati Diaries podcast, before remembering his own friendship with the Spaniard, currently a KTM test rider:
– Dani is someone I’ve remained friends with throughout my entire career, even during our championship battles. Nothing but respect for him, he has nothing but respect for me. We’re friends to this day.
However, returning to the situation #26 experienced then against #46, Stoner recalled: ‘But they loved to distort things. Dani wasn’t as loved as he could have been, perhaps because he was very serious, very focused on results, instead of acting like a showman’.
By: AM