MotoGP World Champion Casey Stoner surprised the world by declaring exercise will be retired from MotoGP at the end of the season for family reasons.
26-year-old rider, who has won 35 races during his career and leads the MotoGP standings after winning two of three races this season, delivered a statement during a press conference on Thursday, before the French Grand Prix series.
"After thinking for a long time and many discussions with his wife and family, I have decided to stop competing at the end of the season," said Save the Repsol Honda team.
"After years of taking part in a sport that I love, and with all the sacrifices I have to do, I no longer have the passion to continue and I think it's better to stop," said Stoner.
Stoner, who had become world champion MotoGP with Ducati in 2007, became a father for the first time in February when his wife, Adriana, gave birth to a baby girl.
However, he agreed that being a father has reduced her passion for motor racing.
"People say you'll slow down when you get married, but in the first year I got married, I won the championship," said Stoner.
"When I knew we had a child, I get the title for the second time. I think it's not the reason (slow)," he said.
Joining Stoner in the MotoGP class in 2006 with Honda satellite team having previously played in the 125cc class, his debut at Donington Circuit (2001) and 250cc classes.
The option to move to Ducati team in 2007 bringing Stoner won the MotoGP series opener in Qatar, which is then followed by a victory which made it nine times world champion that year.
He moved to the Honda factory team last year and earned his second world championship circuit in Phillip Island, Australia, the country of origin, having previously won nine races that season.
2011 MotoGP Stoner ended the season with a finish in the top 10 Grand Prix of Valencia. "Casey has announced that 2012 will be his last year in MotoGP. Let's hope he has a fantastic year," said Honda team in the Twitter account, on Thursday.
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