Stoner: 'All the riders hate each other'

ATTENDING the season-finale Sydney 500 V8 Supercar race, 2011 MotoGP Champion Casey Stoner compared the relationships between the competitors from the two series.

"V8s in general, everyone's a little bit more relaxed towards each other," Stoner told AAP. "In our class overseas with a lot of European riders there's a lot more jealousy, all kinds of stuff.

"All the riders hate each other and they think they need to hate each other to beat each other.

"Around here you can still be mates and race. As long as you drive fair and square and give a hard race, there's no reason you can't be friends. That's something that's pretty refreshing about this paddock."

Stoner was a guest of Team Vodafone at the event along with his wife Adrianna, instead of receiving his award at a gala FIM ceremony.