Ducati will take a call on Casey Stoner by the next month, that is if the Australian can continue as the brand’s test rider and ambassador beyond the 2018 MotoGP season.
Stoner’s current deal is a 2+1 with 2018 being his last year as per the contract. Rumours suggested during Czech GP weekend that Stoner wanted out and will not renew, however, Ducati’s management hasn’t ruled him out yet.
Ducati Corse’s Sporting Director Paolo Ciabatti admitted that they had a talk with Stoner during the World Ducati Week at Misano and that they mutually decided to wait until September to see how Stoner’s shoulder recuperates.
“The situation is that, when we agreed with Casey to come back to Ducati as a test rider and brand ambassador, we had a 2 +1 – a 3 year deal – that is expiring at the end of 2018,” said Ciabatti.
“So, we met Casey during World Ducati week at Misano and we spoke a bit about the future. He’s still recovering to the surgery to his [right] shoulder and he still cannot really move his shoulder up more that 90 degrees.
“It was quite a comprehensive surgery and he’s still rehabilitating from that. So we decided we would touch base again later, in September, and see what the progress is with the shoulder to see whether there are conditions to continue as it is now as a test rider and brand ambassador – or maybe only as an ambassador.
“We’ll have to see with him. I think his main concern now is to recover the use of his shoulder and arm. Once that is done we can talk about the future.” The 32-year-old last rode the Desmosedici in Malaysia and underwent the surgery in February.
He has been recovering since, but now feels that the need for training and preparing himself for a handful of tests in a year is not worth the pressure. If not as a test rider, Ducati will be hoping he continues on as their ambassador.