Casey Stoner on his Honda last year
Casey Stoner has fuelled speculation he could make a shock return to MotoGP by agreeing to test ride for his old team Honda.
The Australian former world champion stunned MotoGP by retiring last year at the age of 27, citing disillusionment with the sport.
He switched to V8 supercars but Stoner admits he has missed driving on two wheels and has agreed to test for Honda at Motegi.
"There are times when I miss riding my RC213V so I am really happy that Honda have asked me to do some testing in Motegi this year." Casey Stoner
That has led to speculation that he could be entered as a wild card, potentially in Japan and Australia - though Honda have denied this.
"There are times when I miss riding my RC213V so I am really happy that Honda have asked me to do some testing in Motegi this year," Stoner told the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix website.
Enjoyment
"It will allow me to enjoy what I miss which is riding a MotoGP bike."
Honda Team Principal Livio Suppos said: "There have been rumours of a wild card race for Casey but this is out of the question."
Honda say they want Stoner's assessment of their RC213V which is in a tense struggle with Yamaha for this year's world title.
"When you have a new bike it is good to have a test rider who can really push the limit before you give the bike to the factory riders," Suppo added.
"If you do something you do it properly which is why HRC have agreed with Casey to come and do a series of four test sessions in Japan."
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