London, ENGLAND — As he continues to recover from a 2016 respiratory infection, Sir Stirling Moss has made the decision to retire from the public eye at age 88.

In an announcement posted to Moss’s official website, his son, Elliott, stated:

“To all of his many friends and fans around the world who use this website for regular updates, my father would like to announce that he will be closing it down.

Following his severe infections at the end of 2016 and his subsequent slow and arduous recovery, the decision has been made that, at the age of 88, the indefatigable man will finally retire, so that he and my mother can have some much deserved rest and spend more time with each other and the rest of the family.

The entire and extended Moss clan thank everyone for all their love and support over the years and we wish you all a happy and prosperous 2018.”

The racer, often considered the greatest driver never to win a Formula 1 championship, earned his first F1 victory in 1955 at Aintree, making him the first British driver to win a British Grand Prix. His most memorable performance that year was behind the wheel of a Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR at the Mille Miglia. With co-driver Denis Jenkinson, Moss shattered the event’s existing speed record, covering the full race distance of 992 miles in 10 hours, 7 minutes and 48 seconds, at an average speed of nearly 98 mph.

His crash at Goodwood in the spring of 1962 left Moss in a coma for a month and partially paralyzed for half a year. Though he tested in a Lotus 19 after his recovery, Moss realized that the accident had impacted his ability to drive a car at the limit, prompting his retirement as a full-time, professional racing driver.

He covered racing for ABC’s Wide World of Sports from 1962 to 1980, when he returned to the cockpit to compete in the British Saloon Car Championship. He retired as a racing driver in 2011. He also continued to serve as a brand ambassador for Mercedes-Benz.