Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1546567
Capirossi a MotoGP Legend L oris Capirossi was offi- cially inducted as a MotoGP Legend on Saturday at Misano, with MotoGP CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta presenting the three- time World Champion with his Legend medal. Capirossi made 328 Grand Prix starts across 22 seasons from 1990 to 2011, scoring 29 victories, 99 podiums and 41 poles. He won the 125cc World Championship in 1990 at 17 years and 165 days old, remaining the youngest Grand Prix Champion until Pedro Acosta broke the record by one day in 2021. Capirossi added a contro- versial 250cc title in 1998 after he collided with chief rival Tetsuya Harada before moving to MotoGP, where he scored nine victories. He gave Ducati its first premier-class win at the 2003 Catalan Grand Prix and became one of just five riders to win MotoGP races with three manufacturers: Yamaha, Honda and Ducati. He retired after 2011, had his number 65 retired in 2016 and remains involved with MotoGP as a Race Direction representa- tive. "Everyone's dream is to one day be a MotoGP Legend," Capirossi said. "I am happy to still be here and involved in that." CN WIND IN THE P20 Rins to Retire A lex Rins will retire from motor- cycle racing at the end of the 2026 season, bringing a 14-year Grand Prix career to a close. The 30-year-old Spaniard confirmed at Misano that he will leave MotoGP and pursue a new project in four- wheel racing. Rins had been linked with a move to WorldSBK after losing his Monster Energy Yamaha Mo- toGP seat for 2027 but confirmed he has rejected offers from the championship. "I will not go to Superbike next year," Rins said. "I found another thing that really motivates me more." He has yet to reveal details of the project. Rins entered MotoGP with Suzuki in 2017 after finishing runner-up in both the Moto3 and Moto2 World Championships. He spent six seasons with Su- zuki, winning his first premier- class race at the 2019 United States Grand Prix and adding further victories in 2020 and 2022. After Suzuki's withdrawal from MotoGP, Rins moved to LCR Honda and scored a memorable victory at the 2023 Americas Grand Prix before a serious leg injury at Mugello curtailed his season. He subsequently joined Ya- maha, where he has spent the past three seasons. Rins leaves MotoGP with six premier-class victories and 18 podiums. "It was difficult to choose," Rins said. "All my life in MotoGP, many fights, many races, many wins. Fourteen years, more or less." CN Loris Capirossi now joins the all-time greats as a MotoGP Legend. Alex Rins will call time on his MotoGP career as a new venture in car racing beckons.