After an incredible career spanning 26 seasons, Valentino Rossi will hang up his riding gear at the end of his 2021 campaign. While the news isn’t entirely unexpected, it closes the two-wheeled chapter of one of motorsports’ greatest champions, and sets up his long-awaited switch to cars.

Rossi made the announcement at the Styrian GP in Austria, a venue that saw him take his first-ever 125cc Grand Prix podium 25 years ago. “It’s difficult, it’s a very sad moment because it’s difficult to say and to know that next year I will not race with motorcycles,” said Rossi addressing the media. “I’ve done this for more or less 30 years, so next year my life will change after some point of view. But anyway, it was great. I enjoyed it very much, it’s a long, long journey, and it was really, really fun.”

Rossi’s last Moto GP title came in 2009, but with nine to his name, he had already cemented his status as one of the sport’s most accomplished riders.

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He finished runner-up in the championship in 2014, 2015, and 2016.
With that, Rossi has stood on the podium a remarkable 235 times since 1996. He’s also the only rider to have started over 400 races, with 115 victories — 89 of them from MotoGP.

Although the Italian motorcycle rider won’t be competitively riding in 2022, he will remain closely associated with the sport. Next year will see him focus his attention on his racing outfit, Sky Racing Team VR46.

But as he moves away from two-wheelers, it’s reported that he’ll be swapping handlebars for a steering wheel. Rossi has harbored a love for auto racing for many years. He started out racing go-karts, and after several Formula One tests, had once even been rumored to make a shock switch to the pinnacle of single-seater racing.

At the Austrian press conference, Rossi mentioned his desire to compete in the Le Mans 24 Hours, although saying that nothing yet is confirmed. However, whatever car he ends up in, he won’t be doing it just for the sake of it. “You never race for fun, just for fun,” said Rossi. “If you are a real rider or driver, you race [has to be] strong and for the win.”