Marco Simoncelli 1987 - 2011

I make no apologies for a second post in a week which is about the wider world of motorsport, rather than Formula 1. Yesterday at the Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix at Sepang, Marco Simoncelli lost his life in an appalling accident. The 24 year old crashed and slid into the path of Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards, who helplessly hit him, removing his helmet. By all accounts the accident was not survivable, and the young Italian was declared dead at the circuit.

I will not attempt a comprehensive obituary for Simoncelli, as my knowledge of MotoGP is not great enough for that. Others have succinctly captured what the Italian meant to them and to the sport elsewhere. Indeed, my own personal interest in the sport has waned somewhat over the last couple of seasons, due to the dwindling numbers of bikes on the grid.

But Simoncelli was undoubtedly the star of the majority of the limited number of MotoGP races I have seen in full this year. His tall, gangly frame made it appear that he was constantly on edge, but he was incredibly quick (though accident prone). Two podiums in recent races, including a second place just a week ago in Australia, seemed to indicate that he had calmed down somewhat, whilst still retaining his speed. And then came yesterday’s horrific accident.

Of course, this is the second prominent motor racing fatality in the last week, after Dan Wheldon’s untimely death in an IndyCar race. Once again, we have been reminded of what we all know; that motor racing in any form is inherently dangerous, and accidents can and do happen, occasionally with devastating consequences.

For two sportsmen to die in this way in such a short space of time makes me feel almost guilty for following motor racing, but it is important to remember that, just like Wheldon, Simoncelli was a true racer and died doing what he loved. As well as hearing of these two deaths in the last week, I also had the privilege to watch the last rounds of the British Superbike Championship on television. This clip, from the last lap of the championship decider, helps to remind me why I and thousands of others around the world watch motor racing so avidly. No doubt Marco Simoncelli would have approved.