A sad podium for Rossi

Sunday, 05 September 2010 18:13 by Nereo Balanzin

A podium finish at Misano would normally have had Valentino Rossi feeling quite content.  Instead the race was overshadowed by the tragic death of Shoya Tomizawa.

Coming from a somber podium ceremony, none of the top three riders was in a talking mood.  Rossi, nevertheless, commented on the dynamic of the incident: “Crashing when someone is following close behind you, is one of the most dangerous situations”. Adding: “It was terrible luck for Tomizawa. But things could have been even worse: I think De Angelis and Redding were fortunate not to be injured.”

Rossi was then asked to explain what he saw from his pit box: “Tomizawa turned in a little early, and that made him run wide.  He went off the curb and lost the bike.  It was a bad accident.  I was hoping he would get away with only some fractures,  Then... then I stopped thinking about it.  I had a race to run myself, right after.  You think about it afterward; I'm thinking about it now.  I will be thinking about it tomorrow, and it will be even worse. Should there have been a red flag?  I think so." He later clarified that he didn't think the red flag would have made any difference to the outcome.  He wasn't looking to start an argument, just sharing his honest feeling.

The incident also brings to mind Daijiro Kato, even if the dynamic of his crash was different.

“Unlike that time at Suzuka, this time we were informed of the death before the podium ceremony”.  The crowd, however, had no idea of what had happened, creating a strange atmosphere.

“Tomizawa was a very good rider, but above all else he was a really nice guy. He was fun, and always had a smile on his lips.  He always had a kind word for everyone.  He was young, with his entire career ahead of him.  We are all really sad."

“Tomizawa was in the wrong place at the wrong time.  At that point in the circuit, the Moto2 bikes are going 240km/h, and they weight 140kgs... maybe there are too many riders competing in Moto2: they are often very, very close to one another."

The Italian audio interview is below