Official: Dani Pedrosa to leave Repsol Honda

Dani Pedrosa will leave Honda at the end of the 2018 season 'by mutual agreement', ending a partnership that began in the 125cc class in 2002 and includes 13 consecutive seasons at the factory's official MotoGP team.

The Spaniard, a 125cc and double 250cc world champion before joining Repsol Honda in 2006, is the most successful rider without a premier-class title.

Pedrosa has claimed 31 victories and finished as world championship runner-up in 2007, 2010 and again in 2012 - when he took seven wins, one more than champion Jorge Lorenzo. 

Since 2013, Pedrosa has been team-mate to Marc Marquez, who has won four titles and currently leads this year's standings by 23-points.

"I want to thank HRC for all these years of great success," Pedrosa said. "I have grown not only as a rider but also as a person with them. I will always have HRC in my memories and in my heart. In life we all need new challenges and I feel it’s time for a change. Thanks, HRC."

"Today is a sad day for me," said HRC president Yoshishige Nomura. "On behalf of HRC, I want to thank Dani for all his hard and successful work, and to express our gratitude for these two decades together. We also wish him the very best of luck and success. Thanks, Dani."

The 32-year-old has been a race winner in every grand prix season since 2002, but is only twelfth in this year's championship standings after crashing out of three of the opening six races, suffering injuries in the Argentina and Jerez incidents.

The latest rumours suggest Sunday's Italian MotoGP winner Jorge Lorenzo could partner Marquez at Repsol Honda next season, with Pedrosa possibly switching to the proposed new satellite Yamaha team backed by Petronas.