Marco Simoncelli...RIP

[ricobats]

Another horrible day for motorsport......

Marco Simoncelli has died from the injuries he sustained in a crash on the second lap of the Malaysian Grand Prix.


He was 24.

Simoncelli was fighting for fourth with Alvaro Bautista when he lost the front of his bike and slid across the circuit, into the path of Colin Edwards and Valentino Rossi, both of whom appeared to hit the Honda.

Simoncelli lay stricken on the track after the crash, his helmet having come off during the incident.

He was taken by ambulance to the circuit's medical centre, but at 4.56pm local time it was announced he had succumbed to his injuries.

The death was the first fatality in MotoGP since Daijiro Katoh, also a Gresini rider, passed away as a result of injuries sustained in the 2003 Japanese Grand Prix. The last fatal accident in the world championship series came when Moto2 rider Showa Tomizawa was killed at Misano last September.

Simoncelli had established himself as one of the most exciting new stars in MotoGP this season, his second year at the top level with the Gresini Honda team.

A former European 125cc champion, Simoncelli was a race winner and frontrunner during three years in world championship 125cc racing before coming to the 250cc series in 2006.

He spent four seasons with the Gilera team, with the breakthrough coming in 2008 when he not only became a winner for the first time, but charged to the title, beating Alvaro Bautista.

Simoncelli stayed on in 250cc to defend his title in 2009, although he narrowly lost the crown to future Gresini MotoGP team-mate Hiroshi Aoyama after an early-season injury left him playing catch-up.

He secured a MotoGP seat with Gresini for 2010 and became ever more competitive as his rookie season went on.

That earned him a factory specification Honda this season, and he took full advantage to get among the frontrunners from the outset.

Pole positions at Catalunya and Assen came amid a run of six straight front row starts, although incidents in races meant he could not deliver the results his speed promised - and led to rows with other riders.

But Simoncelli calmed his style as the season progressed, finally taking his maiden MotoGP podium at Brno, and achieving a career-best second in Australia just a week ago. He had also secured works Honda equipment again with Gresini next season, ensuring he would have started 2012 as a potential MotoGP winner.
Autosport / Eurosport

Loved watching this guy, spectacular style.......RIP MARCO

 

[Stulikesdrums]

I've just seen the collision and I am sick to my stomach. Horrible to see him just lying on the track. Poor kid.

RIP.

 

[kingjulian]

I'm horrified. Having seen the video.

It's the second racing related death in a weeks time.

The indi one was just stupid. Greed from organizers resulted in it. Increasing the field size for the last race and putting in a prize money 5mil for winner in the oval with open wheel cars was always going to result in this. In general i think openwheel racing on ovals should be banned. The risk of cars launching like aeroplanes is way too high.

This one i'm just dumbfounded. I feel sorry for the kid. That is no way to go for someone who is only 24? This is just bad luck i think. The possibility of this happening was always there, but it's still ver remote and it's defi not a result of stupidity on the part of the organizers.

The two guys following had no chance of reacting that quickly to avoid him, and no body could have foreseen that his helmet would come off and result in a head injury. It's just horrible luck really. They should invest more money on racing suits and helmet design i guess.

 

[El Pistolero]

It certainly was a one in a million accident, simoncelli was known to be an erratic racer but this he had no fault. 9 times out of 10 the bike would of continued to slide out but for some reason the tyre just bit and gripped the tarmac. I wonder if his tyre choice could of caused this, he was the only rider on the hard tyres on track.

I am devastated for Rossi those 2 were very good friends and it looks like he's accidentally killed him.

 

[Judge Jules]

Marco Simonelli RIP.

Thoughts and prayers for the others involved, including everyone who watched it happen.