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[andrew]

Unfortunately some of us saw it live

Yeah, I saw it live too....When I saw him lying motionless, I already had a bad feeling...

I had to watch it twice! I was on-line and was watching the race twice and couldn't believe that I was seeing a helmet loose on the track. I thought it was part of the faring or something like that!

[LewEngBridewell]

The helmet issue really needs to be looked into there. Disgusting. To see a guy in the middle of the track while his helmet is rolling away from him is just unacceptable.

[andrew]

To be fair it was probably a freak incident the helemt coming off. Numerous riders have had huge impacts but their helments have stayed on. It seems that him being hit by another rider was what did the major damage but Edwards had no way to avoid him.

Following the tragic news that Marco Simoncelli had died as a result of his injuries in Sunday's Malaysian MotoGP, a press conference was held by members of Race Direction - Paul Butler, Claude Danis, Franco Uncini and Javier Alonso - were joined by Medical Director Doctor Michele Macchiagodena.

Simoncelli fell from fourth place on the second lap of the race and was then slid back across the race track, in front of Colin Edwards and Valentino Rossi, who had no chance to avoid the Honda Gresini rider.

Butler opened the press conference by saying: “The purpose of this press conference is to apprise you of the circumstances that resulted in the tragic death of Marco Simoncelli.

"You know who we all are, the Race Direction; Claude Danis who is the FIM representative, Javier Alonso the Dorna representative, Franco Uncini the riders' representative, and I'm Paul Butler the IRTA representative and Race Director.

"Michele Macchiagodena is our Medical Director and he will explain to you the circumstances that resulted in this death.”

Doctor Michele Macchiagodena then said: “I'm very sad to be here to report about the death of Marco Simoncelli, a friend. Because of the crash he had during the race, in which he was hit by other riders, he suffered a very serious trauma to the head, to the neck and the chest.

"When our medical staff got to him he was unconscious. In the ambulance because there was a cardiac arrest they started CPR (cardiac pulmonary resuscitation). Immediately in the Medical Centre, with the help also of the Doctor of our staff at the Clinica Mobile and local Doctors, he was intubated and it was possible to take off some blood from the thorax.

"The CPR was continued for 45 minutes because we tried to help him for as long as we thought it was possible. Unfortunately it was not possible to help him and at 16:56 (local time) we had to declare he was dead.”

Butler was then asked about Simoncelli's helmet coming off during the incident by saying: “I think if I may reply, that will be for another occasion. Quite clearly the consequences and circumstances surrounding the accident will be thoroughly investigated.”

Answering a question about the condition of Colin Edwards, who was involved in the incident, Michele Macchiagodena replied: “He had a dislocation of the shoulder and with anaesthesia the shoulder now is in the correct position. He is fine.”

Butler concluded the press conference by adding: “Our sympathies go to his family and we want to show every respect possible to Marco.”

[scotty]

That is horrible. My favourite rider. Probably not going to bother with MotoGP for a fair while now.

[racechick]

Cant believe it, Rossi and Marco were my favourites by far, cannot believe it, highlights the risk these guys take every weekend.


RIP Marco, a talent wasted.

Mine too. Those two guys had/have something special. Amazing characters and outstanding talents. How sad that we wont get to see all Marco was capable of. Moto GP has lost something it may never get back.He died doing what he loved..but that doesnt make the loss any easier.

[Big Azza]

I won't cope today if I continue to dwell on this. So I am just going to try and get all my work done and then perhaps watch the news at lunch time. All I can say is RIP Marco.

"For the living are conscious that they will die; but as for the dead, they are conscious of nothing at all, neither do they anymore have wages, because the remembrance of them has been forgotten. Also, their love and their hate and their jealousy have already perished, and they have no portion anymore to time indefinite in anything that has to be done under the sun." Ecclesiastes 9:5,6.

[andrew]

Rossi has said on his Twitter page:

Sic for me was like a youngest brother. So strong on track and so sweet in the normal life. I will miss him a lot.

Hate to think what is going through Colin Edwards head now. He always come accross as the Michael Palin of the MotoGP padock. Hope he isn't being hard on himself because he really had no way to avoid Simoncelli.

[Big Azza]

You know that saying that was going around in Las Vegas last week how "a part of us has died inside"? Well a part of me had died as well - it's my motor racing fandom. I honestly doubt I can watch motor racing ever again, I would say why but maybe we should just focus on Simo.

[LewEngBridewell]

I used to follow MotoGP much more than I do now. It was never nice seeing drivers getting flung from bikes and sliding all over the track and into the gravel. This type of tragedy was always going to happen.

[bud]

I've been thinking about his helmet coming off a bit, from a photo in the local paper about the incident it appeared Rossis bike hit his head. The force of this was enough to tear it off. But why? I wonder if Marco wore a helmet one size up to fit in his long hair? I know from wearing my own helmet it's on pretty tight and my hairs short so I can imagine it being even tighter and less comfortable if I had hair like Marco.

[racechick]

His hair making the helmet not fit tight enough did cross my mind. Surely there are rules for how it has to fit? That must have been some force hitting that helmet though, they must have to give at some point.

[andrew]

Thought of the hair the other day. I've seen a lot of huge accidents in bike racing and have never seen a helmet come off.

[bud]

Apparently he did wear a size larger than he should to accommodate his hair.

[racechick]

Oh. I wonder if that contributed?

[bud]

Oh. I wonder if that contributed?

I don't know if he would have survived if his helmet stayed on as Rossis bike hit him in the neck but it would explain why it came off so easily.