Simoncelli resets season with first podium of 2009

Marco Simoncelli once again made a late start to a 250cc season in race three of the year, repeating his 2008 form with delayed accruement of his first World Championship points. The Italian had to fight hard for the rostrum that eventually came his way, edging out persistent rival Héctor Barbera for third place.

The reigning category World Champion moved up from non-classification to tenth in the overall standings after his latest podium, although series leader and Jerez racewinner Hiroshi Aoyama is some forty-two points above him. Simoncelli has previous experience of overcoming such a deficit, however; after the first three races of the 2008 season, he was thirty-seven points behind early pacesetter Mika Kallio, and he went on to take the crown with a near-forty point advantage.

“My bike wasn’t working as well as the front two riders, but I’m happy to have restarted my year,” said the Metis Gilera rider. “Ok, I was on the podium, but I was made to suffer.”

Simoncelli failed to take points from the opening two rounds due to a combination of injury and mechanical problems. He had crashed out of races at Jerez on his previous three visits to the track.”