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Newly-crowned MotoGP world champion Casey Stoner says the best way to honour the late Marco Simoncelli is to try to ensure a thrilling season-ending race at Valencia this Sunday.
Simoncelli died in a horrific accident at the Malaysian Grand Prix on October 23.
The Honda rider was regarded as one of the up-and-coming stars of the sport and a potential future rival for Stoner.
The Australian, who won his second world title when he captured his fifth straight Australian Grand Prix recently, is preparing for a tough weekend in Spain.
“It will be difficult to return to racing this weekend after Marco’s terrible accident in Sepang, but I think it is the best thing we can do to honour him,” Stoner said.
“We know we all play a risky game and, even if compared to the past, the safety of our sport is much better. Unfortunately, these kind of events still occur.
“My thoughts go out to his family and I hope that they are coping through this period.”
Stoner has described the finale as the culmination of “an incredible season for us”.
“We worked hard all year and, after clinching the title in Phillip Island, we are starting to look to 2012,” Stoner said.
“After the race here in Valencia, we will have the two-day test on the 1000cc machine and then we can take a well-deserved break and reflect on the ups and downs of a very long, hard season.
“We will go out there this weekend and try to put on a good show for all the fans and especially in memory of Marco.”
Simoncelli died when he lost control of his bike and veered across the path of American Colin Edwards and Italian Valentino Rossi on the second lap of the Malaysian race.
Edwards says there was nothing he could have done to avoid the contact.
“I have asked myself a thousand questions since the crash,” he told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
“What might have happened if I had reacted differently? Could I have done anything else?
“But I’ve watched the footage again and I know there is absolutely nothing I could have done to avoid Marco,” Edwards said.
“And Valentino could do nothing either.
“It is hard to lose a friend. We lost a shining star. Marco was loved by all the supporters for his personality, his character, his charisma.”
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