Casey Stoner and Max Verstappen: A shared disillusionment with modern motorsport

Casey Stoner is one of the most beloved icons of the last few decades in MotoGP, but his early retirement at 27 years old came as a shock to many in the world of motorsport.

After taming a beastly Ducati machine in 2007 and riding it to the title, he then repeated the feat at Honda in 2011 before retiring the following year, costing the sport one of it's greatest ever stars.

Despite his fiery on-track riding style and overwhelming raw talent, Stoner remains the humble and down-to-earth character he has always been, and now the Australian has shed more light on how electronics and systems within the bike ultimatley led him to fall out of love with the sport.

At the recent Hall of Fame dinner broadcast by the official MotoGP channel, Stoner joined the likes of Valentino Rossi, Jorge Lorenzo, Dani Pedrosa and several other former world champions from the past.

"So you were, like, suffering more than enjoying, in the last few years?" Lorenzo asked to the Australian.

"No it's not that it, it's just I like to enjoy riding. So I wanted to enjoy the sensation of controlling the slides." Began Stoner.

"Did you have a fear of getting injured?" interjected Lorenzo.

"No, never. I never had any problems with this. I just didn't enjoy the bikes anymore." said Stoner.

"The bikes?" asked Lorenzo.

"I was just like, I'm not here to be famous, I'm not here to be rich. I'm only here to enjoy what I do and I don't get to do what I want. So, I wasn't in control anymore it just uh [...] f***ing electronics everywhere and I was like, okay I'm done."

The loss of Stoner's talents to the MotoGP, particularly in what seemed to be his prime years, has certainly had a massive impact on the present-day shape of the sport.

A potential epic rivalry between Stoner and Marquez is left to speculative fantasy, but the double world champion is still considered to be one of the greatest talents the sport has ever seen, even if his two titles pale compared to the likes of Marquez and Rossi.

As Formula 1 undergoes a similar transition towards automated and battery-powered systems, continually reducing the abilities of the driver to make a difference, the sport may suffer similar losses of talent.

Four-time world champion Max Verstappen has already repeatedly stated that he 'doesn't need to race anymore' and has achieved everything he set out to do in the sport.

Casey Stoner's comments provide a perfect example of how politics, greenwashing and over-regulation can ultimately kill the passion which attracts competitors and fans to motorsport in the first place.Casey Stoner and Max Verstappen: A Shared Disillusionment with Modern Motorsport