Valentino Rossi to retire at end of 2021 season

He had specified that he was giving himself the summer to think about his future in Grand Prix and he kept his promise. On the occasion of an exceptional press conference, scheduled only this morning, Valentino Rossi announced that he will hang up his leather at the end of 2021.

« I said I would make my decision for next year after the summer break, and I decided to quit at the end of the season, released the nine-time World Champion. Unfortunately, this will be my last half of the season as a driver MotoGP. It's difficult, it's a very painful moment because it's delicate to say and think that next year I won't be racing on a motorcycle, something I've done for more or less 30 years. years. »

After 25 years in the Grand Prix paddock, Rossi has won nine titles, including seven in the premier class, 115 victories (89 in the premier class, a record) and no less than 235 podiums (also a record). Curiously, yesterday he celebrated the 25th anniversary of his very first podium, it was on the A1-Ring (now Red Bull Ring) in 125cc.

From next year, Rossi will no longer be part of the MotoGP grid. “ My life will be different, he confessed. But it was great, I really liked it, it was a long trip, lots of fun. I've been racing in the World Championship for 25, 26 years, and I've had unforgettable moments with all my friends, those who work for me... I don't have much to say! »

If the Italian leaves the world of motorcycles, he does not hide his desire to invest more on four wheels. “ I love racing in a car, just a little less than on a motorbike. I feel like I've been a pilot my whole life. I'm just going to move from the bike to the car, not at the same level, but I think either way I'll race. » And later insisted: “We never run for fun, we run after results, to be strong. »

It is a page in the history of motorcycle Grands Prix which will be turned at the end of the season. Since his debut in 1996, Rossi has marked generations and he will leave an indelible mark on the MotoGP paddock. “ I entertained a lot of people on Sundays, one of the best things I've done in my life and which gave me the greatest emotions. »