Sepang ‘one of the safest’

SEPANG, Malaysia - Agence France-Presse

MotoGP’s commercial backer Dorna Sports defended the safety of Malaysia’s Sepang circuit as top riders began testing their new 1000cc bikes yesterday at the track.

The tragic death in October of rider Marco Simoncelli at the Malaysian MotoGP shocked the sport and highlighted concerns over Sepang, which is notoriously tricky due to heat, humidity and frequent rain.
But Dorna Managing Director Javier Alonso said Simoncelli’s death in a horrific collision was purely an accident that should not be blamed on the circuit.

“In terms of safety, Sepang is a very safe track. Unfortunately we had a fatal accident last year. We are really, really sad about this.

But he added: “Safety-wise, Sepang is one of the safest tracks we have in the championship.”
The pre-season testing offered a first glimpse of the new 1000cc MotoGP bikes adopted this year.