Fausto Gresini: Marco’s death, it changed many things

San Carlo Honda boss Fausto Gresini has said part of the reason for choosing Spaniard Alvaro Bautisa to ride in his HRC-backed MotoGP team this year was to make a change after the death of Marco Simoncelli at Sepang last year – adding that having an Italian rider on the bike was no longer important.

The flamboyant Italian rider was killed at the Malaysian circuit and added to Gresini’s pain of losing Daijiro Katoh at Suzuka in 2003. When it was clear he could not sign Andrea Dovizioso for the 2012 season, he looked away from his home country and selected Bautista for the seat, preferring not to try and find an Italian.

“It’s clear the story is strange. It’s clear when we finished Marco’s story we didn’t have another way. In that case, Dovi had signed before with Tech3. For me in that moment, it’s not important to have an Italian rider. I prefer not to. For me the feeling is no good and I prefer to change the nationality and this is the reason,” said Gresini.

“My mentality is no good to continue with an Italian rider on the same bike as Marco. It’s necessary to take some time, a little more distance with the Spanish rider. All the time I’m working with bikes there is much love for (motorcycles). Now it’s difficult, it’s different. Marco’s death, it changed many things. Now, in that moment, for me it’s no good now. It’s not a big love anymore. The work, I still love it, but to go to the circuit I don’t really feel like it. This is my feeling at the moment. I think it will be necessarily a long process.”

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Source: http://www.zimbio.com/MotoGP/articles/ray3mCufgFh/Fausto+Gresini+Marco+death+changed+many+things

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