Kevin Schwantz to lead Simoncelli lap of honour

Kevin Schwantz to ride Marco Simoncelli's RC212V during a lap of honour by riders from all three classes at Valencia - followed by a two-minute firecracker display.

Peter McLaren

05 Nov 2011

Simoncelli tribute, Valencia MotoGP 2011
© Gold and Goose

The MotoGP community has been paying tribute to Marco Simoncelli throughout this weekend's Valencia season finale - and race day morning will see a further special tribute to the former 250cc world champion.

At 10.10am local time on Sunday, riders from all three World Championship classes have been invited to depart from Pit Lane as a group, and complete a lap of the track in honour of Simoncelli.

The procession will be led by Simoncelli's San Carlo Honda Gresini RC212V MotoGP bike, which will be ridden by 1993 world champion Kevin Schwantz, a friend of the late Italian.

The riders will stop just short of the finish line, with local authorities and representatives of MotoGP's governing bodies (Dorna, IRTA and the FIM) congregating on the other side of the finish line alongside Simoncelli's family and members of the Gresini team.

Paddock members will also be present on track.

Once the bikes have taken up their positions on the start/finish straight a two-minute Valencian Masclet? (a traditional firecracker display) will take place.