MOTOGP NEWS:THE DEATH of Italian Marco Simoncelli at the Malaysian GP yesterday left motor sport in a state of shock for a second consecutive weekend. Simoncelli crashed after losing control of his bike on the second lap of the circuit in Sepang and appeared to be hit by Colin Edwards and then Valentino Rossi as he slid across the track.

The 24-year-old Gresini Honda rider’s helmet came off in the collision and he was taken to the medical centre for treatment, but he was later declared dead.

Organisers cancelled the race as soon as the extent of Simoncelli’s injuries became apparent.

Simoncelli’s death comes a week after British racing driver Dan Wheldon, a two-time Indy 500 race winner, was killed in a 15-car pile-up at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Spanish rider Dani Pedrosa had a dispute with fellow factory Honda rider Simoncelli earlier this season, but news of his rival’s death left last season’s championship runner-up reeling.

Repsol Honda’s Pedrosa said: “In a tragedy like this there is not much to say. I just want to give my condolences to his family and all the people who love him. I’ve been with his father and all we could do was to hug, nothing else matters.

“It was a fatal accident and everybody in the paddock remains in shock.

“Many times we ourselves forget how dangerous this sport can be and when you lose people on the way nothing has any meaning. It’s clear that we all do what we like, what we love, but on days like today nothing matters.”

Newly-crowned MotoGP champion Casey Stoner added: “I’m so shocked and saddened by the loss of Marco. When things like this happen it reminds you how precious life is, it makes me feel sick inside.

“All I can say is how sorry I am for Marco’s whole family I can’t imagine what they are all going through and our thoughts and wishes are with them at this time. I hope they all stay close and pull through this tragedy together.”

Simoncelli’s compatriot and Repsol Honda rider Andrea Dovizioso said: “I watched the images and I’m shocked: in a race you fight and push hard and disaster is often around the corner.

“Marco was a strong rider and he always pushed hard. We raced together since we were kids, I saw him always pushing to the maximum, he crashed many times, but without major injuries, he seemed invincible. What happened today seems impossible.”

Simoncelli’s death was the first fatality in MotoGP since Japan’s Daijiro Katoh died at the 2003 Japanese Grand Prix.