By Marcella Gallace
In 2011 at the Australian Grand Prix in Philip Island Marco Simoncelli came off the biggest win in his 1000cc career. Just his second year racing in the MotoGP category, the late Simoncelli was an up and coming superstar who gave his competitors on the track a run for their money. He had flair, he had guts and he had authenticity.
Philip Island was one of Simoncelli’s favourite tracks in a sport that see riders compete at 18 circuits in one season. Located on the oceanside, riders literally reach up to 310km/h on the Philip Island straight with the scenic ocean horizon in the distance.
Simoncelli’s father, Paolo Simoncelli, talks to me about his son’s passion for the circuit. “When it was the moment to show the charm that the Philip Island offers, he always did his best with those extremely fast corners and with the scenic oceanic view in the distance."
Simoncelli finished second at the 2011 Australian Grand Prix, his best result ever in MotoGP. He was ecstatic, and so was the crowd. Standing on the podium that he shared with a first place Casey Stoner and third place Dovizioso, Simoncelli sprayed champagne in jubilee while his famous afro battled against the chaotic oceanic wind.
At the end of that race he turned to his father and the 24-year-old said: “Papa, I was coming second the whole race, I couldn't come third behind Dovizioso." Paolo says, "and he left Australia when the objective to cross the Malaysian Grand Prix race line first."
One week later at the Malaysian Grand Prix , Simoncelli died in the sport that had made him feel most alive. And the sport lost a unique soul because that’s what Simoncelli was, unique. What you saw was what you got. "He was always himself, even in front of the cameras," Paolo says.
When Simoncelli died the world lost an incredible athlete but his immediate family lost a son, a brother, a fiancé` and a friend. Paolo describes how it was incredibly difficult to return to the race paddock following the death of his son but he had to do it to survive. They had spent their lives together there.
Four years ago, Paolo initiated his own race team, Sic58 Racing, who will enter Moto3 in 2017. Paolo believes Marco would approve, "I feel that I am doing the right thing, and I hope I am doing something that will make him proud of me. I don't know if we would have started a team after his retirement but I think he would approve. Toni Albolrino who races with CEV, won three weeks ago in Jerez, Spain, with a lead of 58 milliseconds and this, I believe, is his [Marco's] message of consent and approval."
Today, the Simoncelli family honour their son’s name and memory through the Marco Simoncelli Fondazione. The MotoGP world through the immediate renaming of Simoncelli’s hometrack from Misano World Circuit to Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli. And his fans, through continuing to talk about Marco Simoncelli’s legacy.
The 2016 Australian Grand Prix will take place this weekend with race day falling on October 23, marking exactly five years since Simoncelli’s death.
This Australian Grand Prix race, they will be riding for Super Sic.
(Interview with Paolo Simoncelli originally in Italian. Translated by Marcella Gallace)