Eleven years without Marco Simoncelli: dad Paolo’s moving open letter

Paolo Simoncelli recalled in Repubblica his son who died 11 years ago after a tragic accident on the Sepang track

Paolo Simoncelli recalled in a moving open letter his son Marco Simoncelli, who passed away on Oct. 23, 2011, exactly 11 years ago, after a tragic accident in the MotoGp race at the Sepang track.

“Trying to tell you about Marco in a few words is like asking Reinhold Messner to climb all fourteen Eight-Thousanders, the eight-thousand-meter mountains of the world, in a single day,” are the words published in Repubblica. “I am writing to you from a circuit called SIC, which ironically does not bear this name so because it was dedicated to my son but because it is the abbreviation for Sepang International Circuit, which has been a fixed stop on the MotoGP circuit for many years.

“I am actually writing to you from Malaysia because, as most fans will know, I have been running a team in Moto3 since 2012. For many, Malaysia is a land of sun and sea, where the humid climate gives off this unmistakable vacation smell. For me it is as unmistakable as the emotions that bind me to this place, to this circuit that has given me so much and taken so much away.”

“The good that this circuit has given me: the year 2008 was running and on October 19 a curly-haired man crossed the finish line and became World Champion in the 250 class. The bad is well-known history. This year October 23 falls on a Sunday again and the race is held on this same track. The Sic58 racing team, that is the name of our team, will parade as always, proudly, in the colors that were Marco’s. If they are still in this world despite being a hard slog, among the most beautiful for goodness sake, it is because his memory is stronger than the passing of time. If I am still here after eleven years, despite all the difficulties, it is because he is alive within us, that we remember him as best we know how: by running. I was asked: does Paul feel like writing about Marco for Repubblica? Nine simple words would have been enough for me: miss you like air Marco, no indeed more.”