MotoGP world champion booed at Donington

Casey Stoner is a hard rider to love. He speaks in a monotone whine, he lacks charisma, he rarely smiles, and he’s Australian. It’s the perfect recipe for unpopularity, at least in Britain.

So when Stoner won Sunday’s British round of MotoGP, not everyone was happy. He received a mixed reception on the podium, with boos as audible as the cheers.

“What do they want? Are they here to watch racing? It’s not the right way to come to a race track,” Stoner said after the race. “It’s nice to see people here in good numbers but not if they’re here for the wrong reasons.”

“It doesn’t affect me but the same thing happened last year,” said the Ducati rider. “Then I got up on the stage at the Riders for Health charity day and everybody booed me, so I don’t really want to do that again.

“And even going round after the race, I had a 40- or 50-year-old lady giving me a boo sign and another guy making obscene gestures.”

Casey, that’s what happens when you’re a successful Aussie sportsman: the Brits either love you or loathe you. Perhaps if you lightened up a bit and won less races, some of the dumber fans out there would be less inclined to boo you and make obscene gestures - and, can we ask, was it a “wanker” hand signal or a classic flipped bird?