Dani Pedrosa has offi💞cia🍒lly confirmed that he will retire from MotoGP at the end of the season.

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🅘 SIC Petronas Yamaha project - the Spaniard has decided to end his career at Valencia in November.

H🅺aving delayed a decision on his future in Catalunya and Assen, Pedrosa announced his plans on the eve of this weekend's German round💜:

"Next year I will not compete in the championship. I will fi🧸nish my career in MotoGP this seas🍬on.

"This is a decis🐈ion I've been thinking about for a long tiꦑme 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 l🎉ive racing with such an intensity as before and I now have different priorities in my life.

"I would like to express how fortunate 𒉰I feel to have had t🦹his opportunity.

"It's been an amazi𓃲ng 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 d𒊎ream of becoming a racer and that is something I didn't expect as a kid watching on TV.

"Thanks to everybody wh𒅌o 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 Legen𝕴d during his final grand pꦓrix at Valencia in November.

"I think it's a small contribution from t🌠he championship, for what he has been doing throughout his career," Ezpeleta said.

"It has been a big pleasure, as Dorna CEO and a friend of Dani,💧 to share with him all these yeꦫars 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 honꦯest with himself, he has decided to retire. Not all people would do the same.

"I want to tell him again, thank-you and thankꦯ-you for the example 💎you have given to us."

The emotion of the moment began to show when Pedrosa was 🌠aske🌺d to select a stand-out memory from his career:

"Fortunately many… For ဣsure 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 thoughts since Barcelona - when he had lost the Repsol Honda ride, but then d⛎elayed his 2019 decision due to an opportunityꦐ 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 ౠnew opportunities show up and you never have to close the door in that way.

"It's always better to take these decisions w🐼ith time and with your people, family, and 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 and being honest with myself.

"This was the decision.

"What led to the decision was the intensity of the races. You have to live the races to the limit and I had to give everything that I🎶 had.

"Being realistic this [retirement] is the directi💫on I have to take.

"I gave everything I had on the track as well as off it and it’s simply this; I’m a r﷽ider that gave my best."

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

After winni𒁃ng 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, co🥂ntributing to the unwelcome statistic of most s🎃uccessful rider never to win the premier-class title.

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

One of Pedros𒀰a's remaining targets will be to extend his record of at least ♑one race win a season, since 2002.

His best result so far this year is a fifth place in France and Catalunya, having recovered 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 year's standings by 41-points heading into Sachsenﷺring.

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 mentioned 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 the Itali꧙an said on Thursday 'nothing is 100%'.

Despite hanging up his leathers,♔ Pedrosa may 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 here 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 ꧙it and I think in some ways I can still do some things, yes."

With a wave, Pedrosa 𓆏then left the press conference to a round of applause f﷽rom the media, team members, officials, friends and family present.

Pedrosa will stꦗart his final eleven races as a MotoGP rider when free practice at the Sachsenring begins 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.