The MotoGP legend with “more talent than the top five guys together”

One MotoGP legend supposedly has more talent than the current top five combined.

Casey Stoner has always been feted for his incredible ability on a motorcycle, and the legacy he left behind in racing.

Thirteen years after his early retirement, he has been praised for his unique talent.

“He is something special,” Scott Redding told the Motorsport Republic podcast.

“He has more talent than the top five guys put together.

“The things you see him do as a spectator, you don’t appreciate it as we do as riders.

“You see Toprak do something and think ‘f***!’

“You see Casey do something… first, how? And so consistently?

“I don’t believe he had fear, he didn’t fear crashing. He just went, and it’ll be as it’ll be.

“He was angry to win. He didn’t give a f***.

“The stories I’ve heard from when he was young…

“He signed for KTM. I think 250cc. They said ‘go out, run the engine, take it easy…’

“He went down to the pitlane, highside! Two laps later, crash! Just no forgiveness.

“‘I am going out to be fast, and that’s it’.

“That guy used to go out, crash, come in, first lap out, red helming.

“You just had a huge crash and now you’re going even faster? At least [go slower] for one lap!

“Not Casey, man…”

Casey Stoner 'got hate, which was unfair'

Redding debuted in MotoGP in 2014, two years after Stoner had called it quits. But he watched Stoner with awe as a Moto2 rider.

Stoner won two championships in the premier class which arguably look even more impressive with time.

The Australian won the championship on his first year on a Ducati - but it would be another 15 years until Ducati were able to win again, through Pecco Bagnaia in 2022. Stoner’s version of the Ducati was certainly not the dominant force we see today.

He then won in his first year back on a Honda in 2011 too.

But Stoner wasn’t always as revered during his heyday.

“He is not a people person,” Redding said. “He didn’t care about the bull*** of media, that’s not his thing. Fair play, he made it known.

“He got hate for that which was unfair. He was doing his job. He must have looked at it like war, with the racing.

“He got hated, it was the start of social media times. The s*** that people say! If you’re someone that can’t take it, it’s a nasty place to be.

“I have massive respect for him for doing what he did, then hanging up his suit and saying ‘bye’.”