MotoGP: Pedrosa set to announce retirement?

MCN’s sources believe that Dani Pedrosa could be set to announce his retirement at next weekend’s German Grand Prix, after negotiations that could have seen the MotoGP veteran line up for the new Petronas Yamaha team have fallen through.

Linked to the new squad since Jorge Lorenzo (originally tied to it) signed to replace him at the Repsol Honda team, it’s now believed that Pedrosa has been unable to agree terms with the Malaysian team. Speculated at for months, the team’s basic structure was announced this morning, minus any rider announcements.

And with Pedrosa scheduling a special press conference for the next round of the series at Sachsenring next week, it seems likely that he will now instead announce his retirement after thirteen seasons in the premier class with the factory Honda team.

Pedrosa was originally linked to retirement rumours earlier this year, with an announcement speculated at coming at the Catalan Grand Prix a month ago. That was believed to have been delayed thanks to Dorna’s involvement, with the series bosses stepping in to persuade Pedrosa to delay his decision until he was able to speak with the new Yamaha team.

However, with high demands believed to come from the Pedrosa camp (including a requirement for factory-specification bikes matching those of Valentino Rossi and Maverick Viñales), MCN’s sources say that the Malaysian team, even with their Petronas backing, were unable to meet the costs required.