Casey Stoner to miss three MotoGP rounds

In a decision which has certainly damaged all hope of winning the 2009 MotoGP title, Casey Stoner will sit out the next three rounds to allow his body time to recover from recent illness.

After consulting doctors in Australia, Stoner, the 2007 world champion, has made the difficult decision, which will almost certainly leave Yamaha teammates Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo to battle it out for this year’s title.

Stoner will miss the Brno round this weekend, followed by Indianapolis on August 30 and Misano on September 6.

He will return to action at in Portugal on October 4, with the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix at Phillip Island two weeks later on August 18.

“After five extremely difficult races due to my health, I returned to Australia to visit the sports doctors who have looked after me for many years,” said Stoner.

“The doctors believe that during the Barcelona race I was suffering from a virus, and that I subsequently pushed my body too hard, leading to problems that have caused my fatigue since then. The doctors are continuing with many tests to try to understand these problems and make sure it does not happen again.

“I have spoken with Ducati and thank them for their understanding at this time. I feel very sorry for the factory, my team, my sponsors and the fans and I am also disappointed because the bike in the last races has been very competitive. I will be doing everything possible to come back at full strength for Portugal.”

Finn Mika Kallio, a Ducati satellite rider, will join Nicky Hayden in the Ducati Marlboro Team for the next three races.

For the Brno round, Kallio’s place in the Pramac Team will be taken by Ducati factory world superbike rider, Michel Fabrizio.