Washington, Nov 15 : Four-time IndyCar Series champion Dario Franchitti has retired after crash injuries last month had doctors tell him that it was too dangerous to continue racing.

According to CBS News, the 40-year-old Franchitti underwent two surgeries on his ankle and recently returned home to Scotland to recover.

Franchitti said that it is the doctors' best medical opinion that he must stop racing, adding that they made it very clear that the risks involved in further racing are too great and it could be detrimental to his long-term well-being.

The three-time Indianapolis 500 winner, however, did not use the word 'retire' in a lengthy statement released through Target Chip Ganassi Racing, the team he joined in 2009 following a brief stint in NASCAR , the report said.

Franchitti was unstoppable upon his return to IndyCar and he reeled off three consecutive championships and won 12 races upon his return, as two of the wins were Indy 500s, the report added.

His 31 victories are tied for eighth on the all-time list, and his 33 poles are sixth, according to the report. (ANI)