Pedrosa announces his retirement

Dani Pedrosa, one of the most successful riders of all time, has announced that 2018 will be his last as an 18-year career comes to an end.

The three-time world champion in the 125cc and 250cc ranks and MotoGP rider from 2006 has cited a waning level of intesnity for his decision.

“It’s a decision I’ve thought about for a long time and it’s a hard decision because this is the sport I love but despite having good opportunities to keep racing, I feel like I don’t live racing with the same intensity as before and I now have different priorities in my life,” said Pedrosa on the eve of this wekeend’s MotoGP round at Sachsenring in Germany.

"I would like to express how fortunate I feel to have had this experience and these opportunities in my life, it’s been an amazing life to have been racing for such an important team and in front of all the fans. I achieved way more than I expected and I’m very, very proud of what I’ve done in the sport.

“I’ve fulfilled my dream of becoming a racer and that’s something that I didn’t expect when I was a kid watching TV, watching riders in the world championship. I would like to take this time to say thanks to Dorna and to Honda for giving me this opportunity way back in 1999, and to all my sponsors who’ve been with me throughout my career.

“I would like also to say thanks to my family, and to all the fans who supported me throughout my career and through the thick and thin, who helped me sending so many messages to overcome difficult things in the past.”

Following the anoucment that Pedrosa and Honda were parting ways at the end of 2018, it was widely expected the 32-year-old would continue his MotoGP incumbency at a new Petronas-backed Yamaha satellite team.

However, it wasn’t to be, and Pedrosa’s last race will now be at Valencia on November 18, 2018.

In addition to his three world titles in the small and intemadiate ranks, Pedrosa has been a three-time runner-up in the MotoGP title: in 2007, 2010 and 2012.