Aleix Espargaro says he will retire at the end of the MotoGP season after giving 'everything' in his career

Three-time MotoGP Grand Prix winner Aleix Espargaro will retire at the end of the current season.

He revealed the news in a special announcement ahead of his home Catalan Grand Prix in Barcelona - where he was victorious last year.

"I am happy to announce my retirement as a full-time rider," he said. 

"It has been a wonderful 20 years in this paddock and I am very happy and proud of what we have achieved together with Aprilia.

“There are many, many, many riders in the world - in this space today - that won a lot more than me but I gave everything that I had. I worked very, very, very hard," he said.

Espargaro’s debut in MotoGP came in 2009 when he was the replacement rider for Pramac Ducari at the Indianapolis GP.

After time back in the intermedia class in Moto2, Espargaro returned to MotoGP in 2012 with the Aspar squad, when he scored points in all but two rounds of the season.

In 2017, Espargaro made the switch to Aprilia and went on to make history by scoring the team’s first ever podium with a third placed finish at Silverstone in 2021.

He followed that up by sealing Aprilia’s first victory in Argentina during the next season.

Espargaro fought for the title in 2022 and despite not mounting a significant challenge last season, he still managed two grand prix wins.

“Many times I felt that I didn’t, maybe, have the talent of other riders but by working hard I reach quite a high level," Espargaro said.

“With the Aprilia team, all of these memories the last two, three seasons were amazing. I was dreaming so this is why one of the reasons I decide to stop because for me, it’s enough."

Going into the upcoming race weekend at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Espargaro sits eighth in the overall standings with 51 points for the season.

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