Honda Gresini have pulled out of the season-ending Valencia Grand Prix following the death of Italian MotoGP rider Marco Simoncelli in Malaysia on Sunday.
- 'Simoncelli, we will miss you so much'
Simoncelli, 24, was killed during the race at Sepang when he lost control of his bike and was struck by fellow riders Colin Edwards and Valentino Rossi.
"The only certainty is that my team won't participate in the upcoming Valencia Grand Prix and in the tests programmed after the race," team chief Fausto Gresini told Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport on Tuesday.
"Everything happened so fast. I'm lost for words. I know our job is dangerous, that risk is part of the game, but you always hope nothing happens. When it does happen and you find yourself in the middle of it, everything changes; it's difficult to accept it.
"The crash was caused by a sequence of incredibly negative circumstances, the bike that moved towards the inside of the turn instead of the outside, being run over on the widest track of the season."
Simoncelli's funeral is due to take place on Thursday.
Members of the Honda Gresini team are planning to attend the Nov. 4-6 Valencia Grand Prix where the sport will honour the memory of the Italian, the official MotoGP website (www.motogp.com) reported.
