Catalunya MotoGP: Jorge Lorenzo urges restraint from Spanish fans

Reigning world champion Jorge Lorenzo has urged Spanish fans to refrain from giving Marco Simoncelli a hostile reception during this weekend’s Catalunya MotoGP round.

After Simoncelli’s controversial collision with Dani Pedrosa during a fight for second place at the last race in Le Mans, there have been increasing fears that the hard riding Italian will be subjected to a hostile reception at the Montmelo circuit near Barcelona.

The Catalunya race is Pedrosa’s home event but the broken right collarbone suffered in France forced him to confirm his withdrawal yesterday, with the damaged bone still not healed sufficiently.

Simoncelli’s San Carlo Gresini Honda squad claim to have received death threats ahead of this weekend’s race in which Simoncelli is certainly expected to face taunts and boos from the grandstands.

But factory Yamaha rider Lorenzo, who has been a fierce critic of Simoncelli’s aggressive tactics, urged fans attending this weekend to show restraint.
Lorenzo, who was engaged in a public bust-up with Simoncelli during the recent Estoril round in Portugal, said: “I think that we have spoken a lot about this and the people in the crowd must be quiet on Sunday. I think Simoncelli has understood what he has to do in the future.

“I would ask the crowd not to make an exaggeration of this situation. He made a mistake and I have made mistakes in the past and every rider has made some mistakes in overtaking, but I think he will understand what he must change in the future. So the people don’t need to shout at him and make a bigger scenario.  They must be quiet.”

Simoncelli was summoned to meet Race Direction at 4pm this afternoon at the Montmelo track to further discuss the Pedrosa incident.

He was initially given a ride through penalty but a statement released by the FIM tonight made it clear that the former 250GP world champion had been warned about his riding in the future.

The statement read: ‘The Race Direction composed of Paul Butler, Race Director and IRTA representative, Claude Danis, FIM representative, Javier Alonso, Dorna representative, and Franco Uncini, IRTA Riders Safety delegate today met with San Carlo Honda Gresini rider Marco Simoncelli. Also present was San Carlo Honda Gresini Team Principal Fausto Gresini. The purpose of the meeting was to give all the parties the opportunity to discuss the incident at the French MotoGP in Le Mans that resulted in Marco Simoncelli being penalised with a ride through penalty and to draw a line under it.

The Race Direction informed Simoncelli that they wished to ensure that he was aware of his mistake and to avoid any repetition in the future. Simoncelli responded that in the interval after the French Grand Prix he had had time for reflection and regretted the statements he had made in the heat of the moment immediately after the Grand Prix. He also recognized that he had made an error of judgment and stated that in future he would try to evaluate situations better and be a little more cautious.”