So concerned was Casey Stoner about ensuring a fitting MotoGP farewell to Australia that he considered a late withdrawal from last weekend’s Malaysian Grand Prix.

Stoner defied wet weather to finish third at Sepang in only his second race since surgery on his right ankle following a crash in Indianapolis in August.

Now the Honda rider heads to Victoria’s Phillip Island, aiming to win a sixth successive Australian MotoGP on Sunday in his final bike race at the venue.

Stoner says he seriously considered pulling out of the shortened Malaysian race won by Honda teammate Dani Pedrosa, worried at what might happen to his recovering ankle at rain-soaked Sepang.

“I was considering not taking part in the rain at all as the risks were very high,” Stoner told reporters after Sunday’s race.

“If I had come off the bike again and hit my ankle, it would have been game over for the rest of the season.

“As the race progressed I slowly got my confidence back.

“I slowly began to catch the front two but unfortunately ran out of time as they red-flagged the race.”

Pedrosa, chasing his first ever MotoGP crown, is now just 22 points adrift of Yamaha rider Jorge Lorenzo with two races of the season left.

Lorenzo finished second in a race shortened by seven laps.

The Spanish pair are likely to take their championship chase home to the season’s final race in Valencia on November 11.