Reigning MotoGP™ World Champion Casey Stoner
confirmed on Thursday that he would retire from the sport at the end of
the 2012 season.


The Repsol Honda rider addressed the media at the start of the
official pre-event press conference for the Monster Energy Grand Prix de
France, making a short statement in which he outlined the reasons
behind his decision.


“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. I
will be finishing my career at the end of this season in MotoGP, and go
forward in different things in my life,” Stoner told the assembled
press.


“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.


“There are a lot of things that have disappointed me, and also a lot
of things I have loved about this sport, but unfortunately the balance
has gone in the wrong direction. And so, basically, we won't be
continuing any more. It would be nice if I could say I would stay one
more year, but then where does it stop? So we decided to finish
everything as we are now.”


Stoner, who won the 2007 MotoGP™ with Ducati and the 2011 crown with
Honda, currently leads the 2012 standings by a single point ahead of
Jorge Lorenzo heading into this weekend's fourth round.