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Casey Stoner has fuelled speculation he could return to MotoGP after linking with his former Honda team for a series of test rides.
The 27-year-old will fly to Japan next week for a two-day test at the Motegi circuit aboard Honda’s world championship-winning RC213V, which is locked in a tense struggle with Yamaha for this year’s title.
He will rejoin the team for two more sessions on August 6 and 7.
Honda have confirmed Stoner will also ride a prototype of their 2014 model in preparation for next season.
Stoner surprised many when ended his seven-year domination on two wheels last November and switched to the V8 Supercars’ second-tier category in 2013.
But a run of bad luck has prevented the two-time MotoGP champion from stamping his mark in the incident-packed series.
“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 said.
“It will allow me to enjoy what I miss which is riding a MotoGP bike.”
Despite the brief comeback, Honda have denied claims Stoner will make wild-card race appearances for the team this season.
“There have been rumours of wild card races for Casey but this is out of the question,” said HRC team principal Livio Suppo.
“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.
“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.”
Stoner won the 2007 world championship with Ducati and his second title in his first season with Honda in 2011.
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