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Simoncelli autopsy report complete

SEPANG, Malaysia - The post-mortem examination report on Italian rider Marco Simoncelli, killed in a crash during the 2011 Malaysian MotoGP, is complete and with his family.

The chief executive officer of the Sepang circuit where Simoncelli died in October 2011, Ahmad Razlan, said the report had been sent but he did not know what it said.

Speaking on the sidelines on the second day of a three-day MotoGP testing session here, he said the report on the flamboyant 2008 Moto2 World champion who was considered to be an up-and-coming MotoGP star, was handed to his family in January.

HELMET LOST

"It came out a few weeks ago," Ahmad Razlan said. "I didn't want to have a look. I had the opportunity but I didn't think it was right."

The crash occurred soon after the race began when the 24-year-old Honda rider's bike veered across the track and into the path of riders Colin Edwards and Valentino Rossi, with whom he collided. Simoncelli's helmet came off during the collision in turn 11.

Officials at the time said Simoncelli died from head, neck and chest injuries but there has been no official explanation as to what caused the crash or his death.

Ahmad Razlan said the teams remained confident about the circuit's safety and riders were well aware of the dangers of their sport.

"Sepang is considered one of the safest in the world," he said. "For the professional rider, specifically in MotoGP, death or a tragic accident is always in their mind. They may not talk about it but they know the dangers.

"Just because there is an accident on the circuit doesn't mean they won't come back - it's part of the risks they take for a sport that they love."

PRACTICE TIMES

Yamaha rider Ben Spies led the time sheet at 2min1.285 as heavy rain caused a pause in Wednesday's testing. Jorge Lorenzo, second at 2min1.293, said the track was slippery after being used for car racing a few days earlier.

Multiple World champion Valentino Rossi (2min2.130) said the track was better than Tuesday, when it was "very dirty".

Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa did not ride: they were waiting for a report on Pedrosa's engine, which had problems on Tuesday.

Testing will end today (March 1) but be followed by a final three-day session at Jerez in Spain from March 23.

The season will open officially on in Qatar on April 8.
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