Capirossi says he is happy with his decision to retire

The double 125cc champion and 1998 250cc title-winner will make his 215th MotoGP start in his farewell race.

He admitted it was tough to think about the significance of his final race amid the sadness over the death of Marco Simoncelli at Sepang a fortnight ago.

"For sure, after that race retiring is hard, but I made that decision a long time ago and I'm happy because after 22 seasons it's a good time to stop," said Capirossi.

"We have a lot of strong riders and it's good to do something else. All stories start and some time they finish. My one is finished. After the race, I have a good life behind me and my family and I think I can do something good with my life."

Capirossi added that he hopes to get the best possible result in Simoncelli's honour on Sunday.

"The situation is strange for everybody," Pramac Ducati rider Capirossi admitted. "The situation we saw in Malaysia was so difficult, but everybody is here and we will try to never forget Marco. This is really important, it's part of our lives.

"He always tried to do the best. I want to hold up the honour of Marco. I will use the #58 on my bike. I really hope he's happy about that. I can't do the same result he could've done, but I'll try to do my best for him."