Loris Capirossi

[suzukimad07]

Loris Capirossi has announced he will retire at the end of the 2011 MotoGP world championship during an emotional press conference at the Misano circuit today.
The 38-year-old said he had decided to call time on the longest Grand Prix career in history, despite having offers to race a private 1000ccc bike and to switch to World Superbikes in 2012.
Capirossi, who is preparing to make his 325th start in Sunday’s Misano clash, decided to retire after he endured a torrid 2011 campaign with the Pramac Ducati squad.

[Corny]

typical example of the wrong time to stop: This big racing names should quit when they're still in the top standings - now no one's sad about it

[Allyc85]

Agreed. While he has been a top rider for many a year and genuinely seems like a nice bloke, he should have stopped a couple years ago IMO.

But hey if you can still get a ride, why not eh?

[patnicholls]

It must be hard to know when to stop when you have a compulsion for racing - you can have a bad season and think you'll turn it around the next, and as fans we're in a different place when it comes to looking at the big picture.

Loris has certainly had a lousy time since he left the factory Ducati squad, and of course had a couple of major bad-boy moments back in the day (nerfing Harada off at the final corner for the 1998 250cc title, taking down Marchellino Lucchi on the start-line at Mugello). However, a gutsy rider, at his peak very good over one lap too, and a great competitor. And, since he grew up a little, a nice guy!

All the best for a safe rest-of-season and a happy retirement.

[NinjaMaster]

typical example of the wrong time to stop: This big racing names should quit when they're still in the top standings - now no one's sad about it

I disagree. The wrong time to retire is too early and left wondering what might have been. His reputation has not been sullied at all. He is a three time world champion and will be remembered that way. Congrats to him, he's been a tremendous compititor and if not for injury not of his own doing (thankyou Sete) he could have been a MotoGP world champion in 2006.

[Corny]

His reputation has not been sullied at all.

Well, comparing the factory Ducati days....

[chunder27]

I think his repuation has been tarnished a bit, he has been low key and below par since leaving Marlboro Ducati really, hasnt looked anything like quick since then, despite being on half decent machines.

Bautista made him look slow last year and Stoner battered him in 2007 but i will admit he was perhaps the only guy to make that bike work for him other than Stoner later on in the year.

Pramac are a joke let's face it, so hardly fair to crit that bike. But he has been far slower than he should be with that level of experience. I thin he is one rider like Rossi who hates electronics and TC, he might have been up there more were it not for this blight on modern bike racing