Honda Gresini rider Marco Simoncelli leaves Laguna Seca with disappointment – MotoGP news
San Carlo Honda Gresini rider Marco Simoncelli was disappointed after crashing at Laguna Seca.
The US GP retirement added one more ‘did not finish’ status to Simoncelli’s 2011 MotoGP season record. From the start of the race, he was strong and held up with the factory RCVs in front.
It was expected that at some point in the race Simoncelli will attack the top riders for a podium fight. He was in pursuit to hunt down his compatriot Andrea Dovizioso of the Repsol Honda team.
Simoncelli said, “I am really disappointed. I don't know whether I would have caught Pedrosa if I'd stayed in the race, it's impossible to say, but I could have definitely had a battle with Dovizioso and Spies so it's a real shame.”
The Italian worked hard throughout the race weekend to come up with a suitable race package. After a lot of hard work at the garage and track, he was able to qualify for fifth position on the grid.
Simoncelli said, “We had worked so well and managed to improve from session to session but I realised early in the race that the front was giving me more trouble than it had in practice. It closed in turn seven on the first lap, which is a strange place
for it to go, and then again two laps later in turn eight.”
Initially in the race, Super Sic sustained his start position and raced behind Jorge Lorenzo and three Repsol Hondas. With the help of Simoncelli, the race witnessed four RCVs in battle for a podium finish. Later he was engaged in a fight with Dovizioso
and Ben Spies of Yamaha Factory Racing.
However, the race started but shortly the Italian rider started to feel loss in grip at the front end. Somehow, he kept running for a couple of laps but eventually ended up crashing.
For the moment, the Italian and San Carlo team are at ease and collecting themselves to prepare for the next round of the 2011 MotoGP season at Brno, Czech Republic.
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