SA Footy

Casey Stoner has announced he will retire from MotoGP at the end of the 2012 season.

The news comes after the the Australian, a two-time MotoGP champion, had denied speculation about his exit from the sport in the previous race.

He confirmed at Le Mans on Thursday however, that this will be his last season in MotoGP.

"After a long time thinking, a lot of time talking with my family and my wife, this has been coming for a couple of years now but at the end of this 2012 season I will be not racing in the 2013 championship," said Stoner.

"I will be finishing my career at the end of this season in MotoGP, and go forward in different things in my life.

"After so many years of doing this sport which I love, and which myself and my family made so many sacrifices for, after so many years of trying to get to where we have gotten to at this point, this sport has changed a lot and it has changed to the point where I am not enjoying it. I don't have the passion for it and so at this time it's better if I retire now.