Gempar seluruh Malaysia. Pak Cik di kampung yang baru selesai kutip susu getah pun berlari balik ke rumah apabila anaknya memberitahu ada penunggang mati akibat berlanggar di Litar Antarabangsa Sepang (SIC). Semuanya bagaikan tergamam kerana inilah pertama kali ada kematian di litar itu sepanjang ia dibuka sejak 1998.
GP Malaysia baru sahaja membuka tirai namun mungkin takdir sudah menetapkan kejohanan kali ini meninggal detik hitam kepada penganjur terutama kepada rakan pasukan San Carlo Honda Gresini. Marco Simoncelli yang dilihat girang pada awal perlumbaan tidak disangka hilang sekelip mata.
Lebih malang lagi topi keledar yang digunakan oleh Simoncelli, 24, pecah ekoran dilanggar oleh penunggang Ducati Team, Valentino Rossi dan insiden itu turut menyebabkan Edwards serta Rossi terbabas di kawasan rumput tepi litar.
Bagaimanapun Rossi berjaya mengawal motosikalnya manakala Edwards terjatuh di atas rumput dan mengalami kecederaan ringan.
Namun begitu, orang yang paling awal bingkas mempertahankan SIC apabila ada mulut-mulut lancang menyalahkan keadaan litar ialah Pengerusi SIC, Datuk Mokhzani Tun Mahathir. Katanya, setiap kali perlumbaan SIC akan memastikan persedian dilakukan dengan rapi bagi memastikan keadaan litar dan juga kemudahan perubatan berada dalam keadaan terbaik.
Justeru, katanya, kemalangan maut yang menimpa pelumba pasukan San Carlo Honda Gresini, Marco Simoncelli merupakan satu insiden yang tidak dapat dielakkan dan ia boleh berlaku di mana-mana litar perlumbaan.
1987: Born in Cattolica, Italy on January 20.
1996: Runner-up in the Italian Minimoto Championship.
1999: Champion of the Italian Minimoto Championship.
2000: Claims a back-to-back title in the Italian Minimoto Championship and is runner-up in the European Minimoto Championship.
2001: Moves up to the the Italian 125cc Championship and wins the title in his rookie year.
2002: Wins the European 125cc title.
2003: Takes part in his first full season in the 125cc World Championship with the Matteoni Racing team.
2004: Joins the Rauch Bravo team and wins his first Grand Prix at a rain-soaked Jerez.
2005: Completes another 125cc campaign with the Nocable.it Race team and finishes fifth in the final standings.
2006: Moves up to the 250cc class riding for Gilera. Finishes the season in 10th overall with a sixth place finish at the Chinese Grand Prix his best result.
2008: June - Wins his first 250cc race (pictured above and below) at the Italian GP in Mugello in controversial circumstances when Hector Barbera crashed into him after Simoncelli appeared to try to block him off.
October - Wins the 250cc World Championship after a successful season with Gilera with a third place finish in the Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang.
2009: Finishes third overall in the 250cc World Championship behind Japan's Hiroshi Aoyama and Spain's Barbera.
2010: Moves up to ride in his debut MotoGP season for Honda. Finishes 16 of the 18 races en route to eighth place in the championship.
2011: May - Collides with Dani Pedrosa while battling for second in the French GP.
The resulting crash saw Pedrosa break his collarbone and Simoncelli receive a ride-through penalty, eventually finishing fifth. Simoncelli accepted he needed to re-evaluate his driving style and at times be more cautious.
June - Claims his first MotoGP pole at the Catalan GP but a poor start resulted in a sixth placed finish.
October 23 - Killed in a crash during the Malaysian GP in Sepang.
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