Simoncelli at MotoG-Podcast: ‘You can’t explain seeing a child die’

In the most complicated week for the World Championship, with the death of Jason Dupasquier following the injuries sustained in the fall during the last lap of the Moto3 qualifying at Mugello, Paolo Simoncelli is the guest of the MotoG-Podcast episode, the talk of the Gazzetta dello Sport led by Paolo Ianieri and Zoran Filicic. Impossible not to start from what happened to poor Jason and the decision to run the races. “This is life, it is not even a question to face, it is motorcycling. For me the only thing wrong was a terrible minute of silence – explains Paolo -. I would always abolish them, because they are more tragic than tragedy. For Marco I had fireworks made in Valencia with the help of Carmelo Ezpeleta. For me it’s crying about crying. And for the family … I don’t know how they will manage the other son who also rides a motorcycle, this is a nice quarrel. I assure you that seeing a child die is something that cannot find the words to define it. Unfortunately, you always hope that it will always happen to someone else ”.

The return of Elvio

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In a difficult weekend, there was also an embrace with Elvio Deganello, who with his father Aligi was part of the team that with Marco won the 250 World Championship with Gilera in 2008, before following him in MotoGP by Fausto Gresini, and then switch to Suzuki. Last year, while doing cross Elvio had an accident that made him quadriplegic. “Elvio is the thing that made me sick most the next night – says Paolo moved -. I always thought I was lucky, because Marco hadn’t had that problem, he wouldn’t have suffered in a wheelchair. But when I saw Aligi cuddling this smiling boy, I thought that I was not lucky, my whole conviction was overturned ”.

That money for Marco’s photos

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There is a moment when Paolo gets angry, and it is in talking about the Foundation that Paolo, his wife Rossella and Kate, Marco’s girlfriend, have created in his memory. “For the disabled center we spent almost three million euros, we built a hospital in Haiti, we are creating a center for autistic children in Ferrara … And then the other day something happened that really pissed me off: I received an urgent request for payment of 280 euros from PicRights acting on behalf of Reuters, because on the Foundation’s website there are two photos of a certain Mick Tsikas, who I don’t even know who he is, portraying Marco. I will pay the 280 euros, but for me it is a shame, they are ridiculous ”.

If Arbolino had stayed …

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There is also talk of racing, starting with the adventure of the Sic58 Squadra Corse team which began 5 years ago: “So many? For me we have collected less than we could have. The thing that changed things is the farewell of Tony Arbolino, had he stayed with us we would have both won the World Championship, otherwise very well with Tatsu (Suzuki; ed), I expected much more from Antonelli ”. Moto2? “I’d like to, but I don’t want to ruin what I’ve done so far with a risky move.”

What does the Race Direction do?

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For some time, Paolo has engaged in a tug-of-war with the Race Direction on the always too discretionary application of the rules, as well as fighting for the cancellation of the green that borders the track. “They never manage to enforce the regulations properly. Why? Because there is always politics in the middle. Green leads to double the risk of what pilots would do. Concrete and green are a bummer for motorcycling. Once if you went on gravel you stayed there, but this leads the pilots to risk much more. And then always making different decisions depending on the situation is very big bullshit. It’s like the stop. There is? You stop. There must be clear regulations ”.

Quartararo come on, Rins, I’m sorry

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Did Fabio Quartararo’s escape begin in the World Cup? “He is very strong. He was lucky because there was a moment when Luca Boscoscuro (in Moto2; editor’s note) didn’t come up I don’t know how he would have fared. And I’m sorry for Alex Rins, he’s going through a bad moment you don’t wish anyone. In this world from being strong to becoming nothing is a moment. This is the worst thing. You see it from how the riders walk in the paddock, if they look at the ground you understand. You need to have the right people around you, someone who really loves you ”.

Leave Marquez alone

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Marc Marquez is struggling physically: if the humerus is well consolidated, it is the shoulder that is worrying now. “Marquez shouldn’t even be considered right now, he runs instead of staying at home because training on the bike is better than the gym. He has nothing to do with competitions right now, you don’t have to consider him ”

Rossi, time has passed

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There is also talk of Valentino Rossi, who is struggling beyond measure in this start. “Vale is a guy who has to understand that time has passed. All there. For me it does not have fun, in these conditions one cannot have fun, it would do well to think about it and make the right choice. Last or second to last, someone like him pulls… and it’s not right, it’s not right ”.