Pedrosa announces retirement
For the first time in more than a decade, next year’s MotoGP season will start without Dani Pedrosa on the grid. The 32-year-old has announced that he will retire from the sport at the conclusion of the 2018 season, ending a grand prix racing career that started in 2001.
Pedrosa’s future in MotoGP was looking uncertain after Jorge Lorenzo replaced him at HRC and Repsol Honda, signing a two-year deal this past June. And while there were potential opportunities with other teams for the 2019 season, including the new SIC Petronas Yamaha satellite team that will make its debut next year, the Spaniard ultimately decided to retire from the sport.
Announcing his retirement on 12 July - the eve of the German MotoGP round – Pedrosa said that, while it was a decision he had been considering for some time, it was still a hard one to make."Next year I will not compete in the championship. I will finish my career in MotoGP this season,” Pedrosa told a packed media scrum at the Sachsenring.
"This is a decision I've been thinking about for a long time and it's a very 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 such an intensity as before and I now have different priorities in my life.
"I would like to express how fortunate I feel to have had this opportunity. It's been an amazing life to be racing for such an important team and in front of all the fans.
"So I can say I achieved way more than I expected and I'm very proud of everything I've done in the sport. I fulfilled my dream of becoming a racer and that is something I didn't expect as a kid watching on TV.
"Thanks to everybody who has helped me and now it's time to start a new chapter." Pedrosa will leave grand prix motorcycle racing after 18 full seasons, including the past 13 in MotoGP. In what’s a rarity these days, all 13 of those premier class years have been with the one team: Repsol Honda.
In 2006, Pedrosa came to the premier class – replacing Max Biaggi and partnering Nicky Hayden in the factory Honda team - after stellar seasons in the junior categories, including a 125cc World Championship in 2003, then back-to-back 250cc world championships in 2004 and 2005.
However, despite a podium on debut in MotoGP, Pedrosa struggled to replicate his past successes. That rookie season saw the young Spaniard almost derail Hayden’s championship in the famous friendly-fire incident at the penultimate round in Estoril.
Despite several strong seasons and some sensational individual race performances in MotoGP, Pedrosa’s small size worked against him, especially as the bikes became heavier. The Catalan native suffered more than his fair share of injuries, too, which blunted championship charges on at least three seasons.
Pedrosa also had the “misfortune” to be competing against some of the most brilliantly talented riders of the past decade, like Rossi, Stoner, Lorenzo and Marquez.
Despite never achieving the ultimate goal of a MotoGP World Championship and being largely uncompetitive in recent seasons, Pedrosa will leave the sport with a pretty impressive record, including 31 race wins and 81 other podiums in the class (as of Round 9); level with Eddie Lawson on the all-time winner’s list and third on the all-time podium tally behind Rossi and Agostini.
Championship runner-up on three occasions, including a 2012 season where he scored seven race wins, Pedrosa was also third in the championship on three other occasions and has scored race wins in every season he’s competed in the premier class. As of the mid-season break this year, Pedrosa sits in twelfth place overall in the championship, with a best race result of fifth at Le Mans and Catalunya.
At his final MotoGP race at Valencia this November, Pedrosa will be inducted into the MotoGP Legends Hall of Fame. As the 28th inductee, Pedrosa will join the likes of Doohan, Agostini, Spencer, Stoner, Hailwood, Surtees, Roberts and Gardner in the Hall of Fame.
Dorna CEO, Carmelo Ezpeleta, said that Pedrosa is a true great of the sport and a worthy MotoGP Legends member. “A World Champion on 125cc and 250cc machinery and one of the most successful riders we’ve ever had the pleasure of watching, Pedrosa has contributed an incredible amount to the world of motorcycle racing over a long and distinguished career in MotoGP.
“With a legacy that includes his incredible winning run over so many years, and so many wins and podium finishes, we’re very proud that he will be inducted as a MotoGP Legend.” Pedrosa has stated he would like to remain involved in the MotoGP paddock in some capacity in the future, but whether that is in a mentoring, commentary or other role has yet to be revealed. Honda have said they’re open to Pedrosa being a test-rider for them next year, too.
