There's a new kid on the block in Grand Prix motorcycle racing who appears destined to steal the hearts of Italian fans whenever MotoGP champion Valentino Rossi decides to call it quits.
Marco Simoncelli has had an exceptional year in the 250cc class and after a shaky start he clinched the 2008 title on Sunday with one race left in the season.
With his lion mane of curly blond hair, the 21-year-old Gilera rider has become a media sensation but he has not let this go to his head and has remained focused on his first love: racing motorbikes.
''I liked the idea of racing bikes even before I even rode my first motorcycle. I've tried other sports like soccer but for me there'e nothing I like more than motorcycles,'' he said.
Simoncelli started by professionally racing mini-motos in 1996 and won two titles before moving up to the European 125cc championship in 2001, which he won in 2002.
That same year he made his debut in Grand Prix racing in the 125cc class. He never won the title but his performance steadily improved and in 2006 he graduated to the 250cc bikes, riding an Italian Gilera bike for a non-factory team.
Although he was far from a favorite in 2008, after coming in 8th in 2006 and 10th in 2007, Simoncelli bloomed during the course of this season to the point where Gilera decided to give him their official top-of-the-line bike and he clinched the title on Sunday with five wins, three second places and three third-placed finishes.
''When I moved up to the 250cc class many people said I wasn't good enough. They said I was just a joker and nothing more than a bad copy of Valentino (Rossi) at best. But now I've shown I'm not a copy of anyone, I'm just myself,'' Simoncelli said.
Turning his attention to Rossi, who often stands by the track to watch him race, Simoncelli said that ''as a rider there's not much to add except that he's the greatest of all time''.
''But the best thing about Rossi is that he's also a great human being who has remained simple at heart,'' he added.
Rossi, who has already won the MotoGP title and went on to win his race on Sunday, was among the first to congratulate Simoncelli before he went up to the podium.
Despite some pressure for him to move up next season to the premier MotoGP class, Simoncelli has decided to stay in the quarter-liter championship another year.
''I like two-stroke bikes. And besides, all my life I've had to prove myself, catch the others, but now I can be the one the others will have to try and beat,'' Simoncelli explained.
''As a kid I wanted to win the title in each class. I didn't in the 125cc championship, I have in the 250cc and so that just leaves MotoGP... but not at least until 2010,'' Simoncelli said.
