Ex-MotoGP rider - who found his niche in endurance racing - announces retirement
20-🌠year career spans MotoGP, WorldSBK, Moto2, WorldSSP, MotoE and EWC

Niccolo Canepa will retire from racing this mo෴nth.
He will call time on his career after the Bol d’Or on September 12-15, the seaso▨n finaꦬle of the FIM Endurance World Championship.
Canepa is aiming to re𝔉tire with a second cons꧟ecutive EWC under his belt.
Niccolo Canepa's unique success
His 20-year career spans M🧸oﷺtoGP, WorldSBK, Moto2, WorldSSP, and MotoE.
But it has been his most rece𒈔nt years in endurance racing where Canepa has foun🐠d his niche.
He has become the most successful Italಌian rider in the EWC.
After stints in the Italian c𓃲hampionship and the European Superstock🍬 600 Championship, Canepa got his big break with MotoGP in 2009.
Representing Pramac Racing💮, he was a full-time MotoGP rider i🅺n the 2009 season and finished 16th overall.
Canepa moved to Moto2, then the FIM Superstock 1000 Cꦏup,🌳 in the following two years.
In 2012 Canepa spent a full season racing in the World Superbike Championship on a Ducati, finishing 20th. He returned in 2014 and 2015, latterly on a Kawasaki, finishing 13th💛 and 16th respectively.
Canepa 𝐆st🧔arted his association with Yamaha in 2016.
With the GMཧT94 Yamaha EWC Team, they finished as runners-up in the EWC.
Canepa also became Yamaha’s WSBK test rider, and he replaced the injured Sylvain Guintol✅i for four races, finishing inside 🦹the top 10 on each occasion.
Canepa won hi🍃s first endurance title in 2017, as well as the Bol d’Or. He won a second title last season.
He is part of an😼 elite group to have won all three major motorc𝓰ycle endurance races at Spa, Le Mans, and the Bol d’Or.
'I gave everything to racing'
“It has been a fantastic journey! I started racing minibikes when I was just nine years old, and at 19, I was already rid🦹ing a MotoGP bike,” he 💖said.
“I have been lucky to have enjoyed an incredible career; of course, there have been some difficult moments, but as a child, I would never ꦉhave imagined that I would have had so much success and got so much enjoyment from this sport.
“I gave everything to racing, but I got back much more than I expected, and I have won two EWC titles and one in Superstock. Hopefully, we can make it three in EWC after the Bol d’Or. I have had the opportunity to race in many championships, such as MotoGP, WorldSBK, EWC, WorldSSP, Moto2, and MotoE. I am happy w�🌌�ith what I have achieved.
“As a rider, you know when it is time to stop, and it feels like the perfect moment to retire after the Bol d’Or. I am aဣlready thinking about new challenges and starting a new chapte𝓰r in my life. Of course, I will miss racing, my teammates, and my R1, but I think the time is right.
“I want to thank everyone who has supported me throughout mꦑy career, especially my family and girlfriend and those I have crossed paths with who helped me or taught me something.
“It has been a pleasure to meet so many people along the way, and I am excited for the next adventure, which ⭕will see me continue to wear Yamaha blue!”
Mandy Kainz, Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC team manager said:&꧑nbsp;“It has been a real pleasure to work with Niccolò.ꦏ Not only is he an incredible rider, but also a great guy.
“H🍌e has been integral to YART's success since he joined the team, and his attitude, ability, and teamwork are second to none. We are one big family at YART, and Niccolò has been a huge part🧔 of that ever since he joined.
“I am extremel▨y proud of what we have achieved together, and he will be sorely missed. I want to thank him for everything he has given to the team.
“It feels fitting he is ܫbowing out after such 🎀an incredible season, and I know the Suzuka podium was a long-held dream for him, just as it was for myself and the rest of the team.
“He will alread﷽y go down in history as one of the most successful EWC riders ever, but he has the chance to write his name in the records book once more at ܫthe Bol d’Or by securing a third title for him and back-to-back titles with YART.
“We want to finish on a high and create even more history together so he ♑caꦰn end his illustrious career in the best way possible.”
Andrea Dosoli, Yamaha Motor Europe Road Racing and R&D Manager added:&n💮bsp;“Niccolò has enjoyed an incredible career andಞ has been a part of the Yamaha family for almost ten years.
“He has raced in and tasted success in every major championship, showcasing his fantastic riding ability, regardless of the machine. When he joined GMT94 in 2016, he immediately gelled with the R1 and made an instant impact, finishing as runners-up in his first EWC season be🌺fore winning the title in his second. He has also played a huge part in our success in WorldSBK, not only as the official test rider but also as a rider coach and mentor.
“It is hard to explain how significant an impact he has had at 🎐Yamaha, with his wealth of experience, engineering background, and amazing attitude towards teamwork, all contributing to his success, and he can be very proud of what he has achieved.
“Over the years, he has lost none of his pace and competitive edge, which was💫 showcased by YART’s sensational 2023 EWC title victory, and he will go down as one of the most successful endurance riders of all time.
“It would be the perfect way to cap off such an illustrious career by securing his third EWC title at the Bol d’Or, but whatever 🤪happens, 🌳Niccolò can hold his head high and be very proud of what he has achieved.
“While his career as a rider may be ending, it does not mean he will be leaving the Yamaha family, and we are already looking forward to working with him on some🍬 exciting new projects in the future.”

James was a sports journalist at Sky Sp🦂orts for🍒 a decade covering everything from American sports, to football, to F1.