Stoner withdraws from Czech GP, heads home for surgery

Stoner to go back to Australia to receive surgery

Casey Stoner will miss the bwin Grand Prix České republiky as he has to head back to Australia to undergo treatment on his ankle injury sustained last weekend in Indianapolis.

Casey Stoner will leave Brno this evening for Australia after his doctors advised him to have surgery on his damaged ankle to avoid any permanent injury. He confirmed in a press conference this afternoon that he currently has no idea what the recovery time may be once he has had the surgery early next week. He said: “They had to send the disc [with the scans], and they viewed them all day today and decided the worst thing to do would be to keep going in it, to keep riding with it. And the best thing to do would be to get back and have surgery as soon as possible, so that gives us the quickest recovery rate before the end of the season, and hopefully we can get back.

It’s definitely disappointing; it’s not what we wanted, especially in my last season.

Casey Stoner

“It was always feeling like it was going to be this decision anyway. I was recommended by everyone not to race on Sunday in Indianapolis, so I didn’t expect the situation to be better here. It’s definitely disappointing; it’s not what we wanted, especially in my last season. We’re coming into a few left hand circuits, and circuits that I prefer to be honest. In the later part of the season you never know what could have happened, but we’ll keep pushing. I don’t regret it [racing at Indianapolis]. I’ve never really followed people’s orders with things like that in the past. But now, if another accident was to happen it would be huge damage. It’s just frustrating to thing what we could have done without this injury.”

The Repsol Honda rider stated that he hopes to be back for his home race in Philip Island in late October, yet said that nothing could be confirmed until the surgery has taken place: “I believe I can be back before Phillip Island. It really does depend on the surgery, how they [the doctors] see it. Hopefully they can get me back on track as soon as possible and at least I’ll get a few races before the end of the season. Again, it might not depend on what the doctors say.”

Stoner also sighted his severe disappointment at the injury, which he believes has put paid to his championship chances: “I’ve lost championships before, so we know what it’s like. We’re pretty much out of it, even going into this weekend. But now that we’re not competing it’s done and dusted. Very frustrating, but life goes on.”