MotoGP: Valentino Rossi announces his retirement

With a career spanning 26 years, Rossi has clinched 115 Grand Prix wins (89 in the premier class) and 235 podium finishes.

Valentino Rossi has announced his retirement from MotoGP at a press conference, ahead of the Styrian GP in Austria, post the summer break. Rossi will retire from the sport at the end of the 2021 season.

Valentino Rossi made his Grand Prix debut in 1996 in the 125cc class and was crowned the champion in 1997. He then progressed to the 250cc class in 1998, again winning the championship in the division the following year.

'The Doctor', as Rossi is known, made his premier-class debut in 2000 with Honda, winning the first of his seven world titles in 2001. He went on to win the titles again in 2002 and 2003 with Honda before moving to the Yamaha factory team in 2004. With the Yamaha team, Rossi won 4 more world titles between 2005 and 2009.

In 2021, Valentino Rossi made a move from the Yamaha factory team to Petronas SRT Yamaha team. With a career spanning 26 years, Rossi has clinched 115 Grand Prix wins (89 in the premier class) and 235 podium finishes.