Carlos Checa does not believe that this weekend's Valencia Grand Prix will be his last appearance on a Moto GP machine.

The 35-year-old Spaniard appears to be bringing down the curtain on a 12-year career in the premier class as he will switch to the World Superbike Championship next season.

But he has not ruled out returning to Moto GP after that, mirroring what Alex Barros did this season.

"Officially, this will be my last MotoGP race but you never know what will happen in the future," said Checa.

"In any case, I want to finish this part of my career and the season with a good feeling for everyone.

"I like Valencia and we had a good pre-season test here. It's a track that doesn't rely on horsepower so much, so I am aiming to end the season with a strong performance, definitely a top ten result."

Checa made his Moto GP debut in 1995 and took his first win at Barcelona a year later, adding to it with another victory at Albacete in 1998.

He has not won since but has achieved 24 podiums in his 194 races. This season has brought a disappointing campaign though with the LCR Honda team and he lies only 14th in the points. He will be replaced by Frenchman Randy de Puniet next year.

Jamie O'Leary / Eurosport