Dani Pedrosa has officially confirmed that he will retire from MotoGP at the end of the seas꧅on.

The 32-year-old is to be replaced at Repsol Honda by Jorge Lorenzo next year and, rather than join a satellite team - Pedrosa had been linked with the new S🎐IC Petronas Yamaha project - the Spaniard has decided to end his career at Va🐻lencia in November.

Having delayed a decision on his future in Catalunya and Assen, Pedrosa announced his plans on the eve of this weekend's ඣGerman round:

"Next year I will not compete in the champꦍionship. I will finish my career in MotoGP this season.

"This is a decision I've been thinking about for a long time and it's a very hard decision🀅 because this is theꩵ sport I love.

"But despite ❀having good opportunities to keep racing, I feel like I don’t live racing with sucꦕh an intensity as before and I now have different priorities in my life.

"I would like to exp𓆉ress how fortunate I feel to have had this opportunity.

"It's been an amazing life to be racing for suꦏch 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 pr✨oud of everything I've done in the sportꦜ.

"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."

Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta revealed that Pedrosa will be made an official MotoGP Legend durin🌸g his final grand prix at Valencia in November.

"I think it's a small contribution from the championship, for what he has 🅺been doing throughout his career," Ezpeleta said.

"It has been a big pleasure, as Dorna CEO and a fr♚iend of Dani, to share w🔯ith him all these years and I hope he will continue with us, doing other things.

"The decision he has made, is a very honest and loyal decision. He had - in the last discussions [about joining SIC/Yamaha] - everything to continue. But being honest with himsel💫f, he has decided to re🦩tire. Not all people would do the same.

"I want to tell him again, thank-you ꦛand tha𒉰nk-you for the example you have given to us."

The emotion of the moment began to show wꦑhen Pedrosa was asked to select a sᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚtand-out memory from his career:

"🍰Fortunately many… For sure one moment I remember well is when I started racing in Jarama. I was very small and I didn't imagine when so many riders were there that I was going to be picked.

"So from that moment to here is amazing."

Asked about his thou🔯ghts since Barcelona - when he had lost the Repsol Honda ride, but then delayed his 2019 decision due to an opportꦫunity to join the new satellite Yamaha team emerged - Pedrosa explained:

"Like I said in Barcelona,🌠 I had the feelings and more-or-less a clear idea of what my final decision would be.

"But new opportunities sho💖w up and you never have to close the d🔴oor in that way.

"It's always better to take these decisions with time and with your people, family, an♛d think ꧃a bit longer.

"But finally the feeling is the feeling."

He added: "[The Yamaha ride] was a great chance. It's just my feeling, my way of approaching life and racing ꧒aꦕnd being honest with myself.

"This was the decision.

"What𒐪 led to the decision was the intensity of the races. You ha꧟ve to live the races to the limit and I had to give everything that I had.

"Being realis🗹tic this [retirement] i🌸s the direction I have to take.

"I gave everythi🐟ng I had on the track as well as off it and it’s simply this; I’m a rider that gave my best."

Picked out by Alberto Puig for future stardom, Pedrosa has been a Honda rider ༒since his 125cc🧸 grand prix debut, in 2001.

After༺ w🤡inning 125cc (2003) and 250cc titles (2004, 2005), the Spaniard joined MotoGP with Repsol Honda in 2006.

✅Pedrosa has claimed 31 victories but also been frequently injured, contributing to the unwelcome statistic of most s🐻uccessful rider never to win the premier-class title.

Instead, Pedrosaꩲ - who at 160cm and 51🍌kg is the smallest rider on the grid - finished championship runner-up in 2007, 2010 and 2012.

One of Pedrosa's remaining targets will be to extend his recor🌌d of at least one race win a season, since 2002.

His best result so far this year is a fifth place in 𝓰France and Catalunya, having recoꦆvered from a wrist fracture at round two in Argentina.

Pedrosa has been team-mate to Marc Marquez since 2013. The reigning four-time MotoGP champion currently leads this yeꦡar's standings by 41-points heading into Sachsenring.

With Pedrosa removing himself from contention at the SIC Yamaha team, Alvaro Bautista (whose Angel Nieto squad is providing grid places for the new Malaysian entry) is among those being menti๊oned for the final 2019 M1 seat.

Franco Morbidelli is thought to have secured the other SIC ride. However it is yet to be officially confirmed and th🎀e Italian said on Thursday 'nothing is 100%'.

Despite hanging up his leathers, Pedrosa ma😼y still be in the paddock next season.

"It's difficult for me to answer completely at this moment, but of course I would like to [be ꦯhere in some other capacity]🔯 because this is the sport I love.

"I've been here since I was 15 years old. So I know a lot about it and I 🍃think in some ways I can still do some things, yes."

With a wave, Ped𝓡rosa then left the press conference to a round of applause from the media, team members, officials, friends and family pre𒅌sent.

Pedrosa willജ start his final eleven races as a MotoGP rider when free practice at the Sachsenring be𓃲gins on Friday morning.

Dani Pedrosa - Career Summary:
2018: MotoGP, 0 wins, 12th in championship*
2017: MotoGP, 2 wins, 4th in championship
2016: MotoGP, 1 win, 6th in championship
2015: MotoGP, 2 wins, 4th in championship
2014: MotoGP, 1 win, 4th in championship
2013: MotoGP, 3 wins, 3rd in championship
2012: MotoGP, 7 wins, 2nd in championship
2011: MotoGP, 3 wins, 4th in championship
2010: MotoGP, 4 wins, 2nd in championship
2009: MotoGP, 2 wins, 3rd in championship
2008: MotoGP, 2 wins, 3rd in championship
2007: MotoGP, 2 wins, 2nd in championship
2006: MotoGP, 2 wins, 5th in championship

2005: 250cc, 8 wins, 1st in championship
2004: 250cc, 7 wins, 1st in championship

2003: 125cc, 5 wins, 1st in championship
2002: 125cc, 3 wins, 3rd in championship
2001: 125cc, 0 wins, 8th in championship

* After Assen.