Gresini admits returning to MotoGP action at Valencia felt 'surreal' without Marco Simoncelli
Gresini team boss Fausto Gresini described Friday practice without the late Marco Simoncelli as "surreal" as his squad bravely returned to MotoGP action at Valencia a fortnight after the Italian's death in Malaysia
The satellite Honda team is running a single MotoGP bike for Hiroshi Aoyama this weekend, plus Michele Pirro and Yuki Takahashi in Moto2. Simoncelli's #58 bike is on display in the garage.
"There is so much sadness in our garage today," said Gresini. "The atmosphere was surreal without 'Super Sic' there and it has been extremely difficult to tackle the day.
"It goes without saying that he is missed but it was important for us to be here and honour his memory because I am sure this is what he would want.
"Hiroshi tried to find the limit in difficult conditions but it was tough for him. I am sure he will give his best on Sunday in Marco's name."
Aoyama was 14th quickest in the morning and 15th in practice two, when he had a late crash. The Japanese rider is making his final MotoGP appearance this weekend before leaving for a Ten Kate Honda World Superbike ride.
"The conditions made life hard today and I had a crash," he said. "The grip levels weren't the best and even though I tried to find the limit it was very hard and I am not happy with the result. I hope I can be faster tomorrow and on Sunday.
"This is an important grand prix for me because it is my last in MotoGP and I am desperate to have a good race to honour Marco, who we are all missing greatly. I will try to do my best for all these reasons."
Share Or Save This Story
Hamilton accepts blame for incident with Albon in F1 Brazilian GP
Ferrari drivers called to F1 stewards over Brazilian GP collision
Will Alonso's Indy failure end the age of versatility?
Nicky Hayden: Remembering motorsport's much-loved "one-off" five years on
Morbidelli/Rossi relationship won’t change as MotoGP team-mates
Why Alex Marquez doesn't care about 'shutting up' MotoGP critics
Why nationality should be 'no factor' as Haas considers Fornaroli and Camara for F1 2027
F1 drivers raise concerns over 'self-learning' power units – what's going on?
What is holding back Bagnaia in MotoGP 2026?
Why the 2026 F1 cars suit Antonelli's driving style more than Russell
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
Top Comments