BREAKING: Marco Melandri Announces Retirement From World Superbikes

Five time MotoGP race winner and 2002 250cc champion – Marco Melandri has announced his retirement from racing at the end of the 2019 season.

The Italian currently competes in the World Superbike Championship for the GRT Yamaha team. The 36 year old currently sits 9th in the standings but after a colourful career he has called time on racing. The former MotoGP star said this in his statement:

Marco Melandri

“The decision to retire was a very difficult one for me to make. I’d been thinking about it for some time and, before the Imola race, I finally decided to call it a day at the end of the 2019 season. I’m still competitive and I think it’s better to stop at this point, while I still enjoy racing, rather than waiting until the enjoyment and the results are more difficult to achieve.

Since making the decision I feel like a huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders and now that everyone knows this is my final year, I’m even more motivated to push for good results in the final few races. In part it’s for me, as I’d like to go out on a high, but it’s also to repay the faith that both Yamaha and the GRT Yamaha team have shown in me. It’s been a difficult season, but they have worked so hard to help me realise my potential.

Marco Melandri – “I’m looking forward to seeing out my final season with them (the team) and I intend to give it my all, treating every lap like a qualifying lap and pushing to improve myself and bring the team the results they deserve”

They never gave up on me and I hope that my experience has helped the team adapt to racing in WorldSBK just that little bit quicker. I’m looking forward to seeing out my final season with them and I intend to give it my all, treating every lap like a qualifying lap and pushing to improve myself and bring the team the results they deserve. Then it will be time to move on and do something different with my life. For me it’s been a fantastic journey; thank you to everyone I met along the way.”

Melandri has scored 75 podiums across his 7 seasons and 22 race wins. He claimed his best championship position in his rookie season onboard his Yamaha.

Marco In MotoGP

The Italian rose to stardom in 1998 onboard and Aprilia in the 125cc class when he finished the season in 3rd. Narrowly missing out on the championship a year later.

He went on to win the 250cc championship in his 3rd year in the class before moving to MotoGP in 2003. After two tough seasons for Yamaha in 2003 and 04, the Italian moved to the Movistar Gresini Team for 2005. He finished runner up behind the dominant Valentino Rossi after claiming 2 win to end the season. 2006 saw him compete for the MotoGP championship until the final stages of the penultimate round of the season. Picking up 3 wins on his way to 4th in the championship. His final win coming at Phillip Island and one of the most iconic images in history, Melandri power-sliding his Gresini Honda though the final turn, one handed.

When MotoGP went to 800cc racing, Melandri struggled, picking up a 3 podiums in 2007 before making a switch to Ducati alongside Casey Stoner for 2008. The Italian only finishing 17th place in the championship on 51 points. Melandri would pick up his final MotoGP podium in 2009 for Kawasaki at Le Mans. He would race for Gresini Honda again in 2010, before a pointless eight races, racing for Aprilia in 2015. Reluctantly racing for the Italian squad in MotoGP after wanting to stay in World Superbikes.

Marco’s retirement ends an incredible 22 year career at world level, leaving a legacy of being a brilliant racer, World Champion and someone who never gave up, no matter the circumstance.