ITALIAN rider Marco Simoncelli’s tragic death will definitely remain the talking point for everyone when the MotoGP circus returns to Sepang around the same time next year and, while it may be unavoidable, it also sent a sombre message to race organisers to be even more careful when it comes to safety aspects on the track.
The Sepang International Circuit (SIC), the organisers of the Malaysian Grand Prix, were, in fact, fined €15,000 by the International Motorcycling Federation (FIM) at the start of the annual event on Friday after marshals failed to warn Moto2 riders of a wet patch on the track.
The wet surface on Turn 10 was deemed to have created a very dangerous situation for the riders at the start of their first practice session and four riders actually fell at the spot.
Moto2 championship contender Marc Marquez of Spain suffered a massive highside (thrown off the bike) and withdrew from Sunday’s race.
Briton Bradley Smith had a worse fate as he fell and broke a collarbone after hitting Marquez’s bike.
“When I got to Turn 10, I saw yellow flags waving and I thought it was because of the crashes before me. I slowed down and the next thing I saw was the wet track and I almost immediately lost control of the bike,” said Bradley.
