Marco Melandri announces retirement

Marco Melandri has announced he will retire immediately following the final round of the 2019 FIM Superbike World Championship in Qatar.

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Currently riding for the GRT Yamaha WorldSBK team, the 36-year-old will bring to a close an international racing career that began in 1998. That year saw a 15-year-old Melandri triumph at Assen in the Dutch 125cc GP, in the process becoming the youngest ever winner of a GP – a record that would stand for the next decade.

He ended his GP debut season in third place in the 125cc World Championship, and missed out on claiming the title the following year by just one point.

Melandri went on to become the 250cc World Motorcycle Champion in 2002, while his most successful season in the premier class came in 2005, when he won two races and finished the year second to Valentino Rossi.

He switched to WorldSBK in 2011, going on to secure a total so far of 75 podium finishes and 22 race wins, from a total at the time of writing of 175 races.

Melandri said he'd thought long and hard about the decision and timing regarding his retirement from racing.

"The decision to retire was a very difficult one for me to make," he said.

"I'd been thinking about it for some time and, before the Imola race, I finally decided to call it a day at the end of the 2019 season.

"I'm still competitive and I think it's better to stop at this point, while I still enjoy racing, rather than waiting until the enjoyment and the results are more difficult to achieve.

"Since making the decision I feel like a huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders and now that everyone knows this is my final year, I'm even more motivated to push for good results in the final few races.

"In part it's for me, as I'd like to go out on a high, but it's also to repay the faith that both Yamaha and the GRT Yamaha team have shown in me."

This year has seen Melandri secure three third-place finishes, seeing the Italian sitting in 9th place in the WorldSBK championship standings.

Yamaha Motor Europe Road Racing Manager, Andrea Dosoli, thanked Melandri for his contributions to racing and to Yamaha.

"I was surprised when Marco informed me of his decision to retire," he said.

"I'm sure it wasn't an easy step for him to take, but we respect his reasons for doing so. Marco's decision will bring to an end an incredibly successful career that has seen him racing and winning at the very highest level for many years. I'm pleased that, for a part of this long and distinguished career, Marco was a committed member of the Yamaha Racing family, where his contribution to our success was significant.

"Marco's achievements in what has been a remarkable career are already impressive, but Yamaha and the GRT Yamaha team are committed to helping him bow out on a high note during the final races of the 2019 season.

"On behalf of Yamaha Motor Europe, but also personally, I'd like to thank Marco for his contribution to Yamaha and to motorsport. We wish him every success for the future."