In the week since Casey Stoner announced his retirement from MotoGP at the end of the 2012 season, plenty has been written about him. One of the common themes has been his somewhat reluctant relationship with the media, which is often cited as one of the reasons that many fans aren’t keen on Stoner. This has always baffled me, for a few reasons.

Stoner on camera

I wouldn’t argue that Stoner is the most entertaining television personality in the MotoGP paddock. He doesn’t have the boyish charm of Valentino Rossi, he’s not as fond of jumping into lakes with his leathers on as Jorge Lorenzo, and he lacks the ever-present dry wit of Cal Crutchlow.

He might be more prone than most to what some would call moaning, but I’d call it critical analysis. Even if he’s won, he’s always looking for better. That’s admirable, at least to an extent, isn’t it?

But he also has his moments, doesn’t he? Like his habit last year of intentionally getting BBC pit-lane reporter Azi Farni’s name wrong on camera. That was funny!

In any case, Stoner’s post race interviews and the like have never struck me as anything less than cordial and professional.

Worse offenders

The same can’t be said of the monotone, monosyllabic Kimi Raikkonen. He’s actively unhelpful in interviews, yet has a massive, vocal, almost feral fan base. Why? I’ve never really understood.

Or what about Dani Pedrosa? I’d argue that he’s the least interesting of the frontrunning MotoGP riders. Maybe because he’s not quite as successful as Stoner, he doesn’t attract the same vitriol.

Vitriol which resulted in Stoner being booed at Donington Park in 2008. What did he do to deserve that? Win the race. I still find that shocking, disgraceful, and frankly embarrassing as a British motorsport fan.

Stoner on track

So yes, I’ve liked Stoner since he entered MotoGP on the LCR Honda. Why? Because he’s a staggeringly good rider, and hugely entertaining to watch on track. He might not enjoy the other aspects of his job, but he doesn’t avoid engaging with the media. Seriously – what more do people want?

Photo Credit
Shyha – Flickr – Some rights reserved