A nine-year-old boy with a promising motorcycling career died Monday, just days after crashing during a training session in Brazil.
Lorenzo Somaschini was participating in his first free practice sessions when he crashed at the Interlagos circuit in São Paulo, the event organizer, SuperBike Brasil, reported.
Somaschini, a native of the central Argentine city of Rosario, suffered serious injuries from the fall and was stabilized in the speedway’s emergency room.
He was rushed to the Geral da Pedreira hospital and remained there until early Saturday morning, when his health condition worsened.
Somaschini was then taken to Albert Einstein Hospital, where he died.
Nine-year-old Lorenzo Somaschini, originally from Rosario, Argentina, died Monday in a hospital in Brazil, just three days after being seriously injured in a motorcycle accident while practicing for an upcoming race in the southeastern city of São Paulo.
Lorenzo Somaschini debuted in April in the Argentine Junior Superbike Cup and dreamed of one day competing in MotoGp
“Everyone on the SuperBike Brasil team is shocked by the event and expresses their sincere feelings to all of Lorenzo’s family and friends,” SuperBike Brasil said.
Somaschini was preparing for his first race in Brazil when he fell at the exit of Pinheirinho, considered the slowest corner on the Formula 1 circuit.
He was traveling at 40 kilometers per hour, according to his instructor Diego Pierluigi.
“The fall was very slow, but Lolo was left with his head on the bottom of the helmet in a position that caused inflammation at the base of his skull,” Pierluigi told Reuters.
Lorenzo Somaschini suffered a head injury after falling from his motorcycle during free practice at Interlagos, a motorsport circuit in São Paulo, Brazil.
Retired three-time MotoGP world champion Jorge Lorenzo, whom Somaschini admired and honored with the number 99 on his motorcycle, sent his condolences to the young rider’s family.
“My heart breaks because I was his idol and he had my number,” the Spaniard said on Instagram. ‘Unfortunately, motorcycles can give us everything, at any time. A big hug to the family.”
The phenomenon debuted in April in the Argentine Junior Superbike Cup, riding a Honda CB250 Twister.
Just a few days before the race, Somaschini told the newspaper La Capital that his interest in motorsports arose when he was two years old.
‘My dad rode a motorcycle, when I was two years old he took me to the supermarket and I started to like it. My goal is to get to MotoGP,” said Somaschini.
