Five-times World Champion Jorge Lorenzo has announced that he will retire from competitive racing at the end of the MotoGP season, bringing down the curtain on a glittering career in the championship.
The three-time premier class champion was known to have been considering retirement following a horror first year with the factory Honda squad, but had previously said he would wait until he was able to trial the 2020-spec RC213-V before making a firm decision on his future.
Lorenzo held talks with Ducati about a return to the team he competed with for two seasons, but these fell through, leaving retirement the only other option aside from pressing on and finishing his two-year contract at Honda.
On Thursday, ahead of this weekend's season finale at Valencia, Lorenzo announced his retirement from racing.
"I've always thought there are five significant days in the life of a motorcycle rider," began Lorenzo as he addressed the media in Valencia.
"The first is your debut race, the second is your first win and the third your first world championship. The fourth is the day you retire.
"I'm here to announce that this day has now arrived for me, this will be my last race in MotoGP and I will retire from professional racing."
Lorenzo won both back-to-back 250cc world titles during his meteoric rise to the pinnacle of motorcycle racing, culminating in a factory Yamaha berth for the 2008 season alongside seven-time premier class champion Valentino Rossi.
The Mallorcan would go on to win 44 races, as well as secure three titles (2010, 2012, 2015) in his nine years with the Japanese factory before leaving to head to Ducati.
Lorenzo took time to adapt to Ducati, scoring just three podiums in his first 23 contests, before a seat modification propelled him to three wins over the rest of the first half of the year.
He then failed to score over the rest of the year due to injury, and secured a Repsol Honda seat for 2019, alongside Marc Marquez, after Ducati opted against retaining his services.
But Lorenzo has failed to break into the top 10 in a 2019 season marred by injury, missing four races, and holds only 19th in the championship.
Repsol Honda has yet to confirm who will replace Lorenzo in the team's 2020 rider line-up.
