Ciabatti on Stoner’s future with Ducati

The Italian confirmed to Simon Crafar that discussions have taken place

During Warm Up at the Czech GP, Ducati Corse’s Sporting Director Paolo Ciabatti confirmed to World Feed pitlane reporter Simon Crafar that the Borgo Panigale factory have talked to MotoGP™ Legend Casey Stoner about his future as a test rider with the marque and that no, nothing is yet decided. 

"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, so we, as you may know, we met Casey during World Ducati week at Misano and we spoke a bit about the future," explains Ciabatti. "He’s still recovering to the surgery to his shoulder and he still cannot really move his shoulder up more that 90 degrees, so 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."

That contradicts some recent rumours in the paddock that the Australian was definitely not going to continue, but for now it seems a game of wait and see.