Simoncelli was fighting for fourth with Alvaro Bautista when he lost the front of his bike and slid across the circuit, into the path of Colin Edwards and Valentino Rossi, both of whom appeared to hit the Honda.
Simoncelli lay stricken on the track after the crash, his helmet having come off during the incident.
He was taken by ambulance to the circuit's medical centre, but at 4.56pm local time it was announced he had succumbed to his injuries.
The death was the first fatality in MotoGP since Daijiro Katoh, also a Gresini rider, passed away as a result of injuries sustained in the 2003 Japanese Grand Prix. The last fatal accident in the world championship series came when Moto2 rider Showa Tomizawa was killed at Misano last September.
Simoncelli had established himself as one of the most exciting new stars in MotoGP this season, his second year at the top level with the Gresini Honda team.The race was stopped immediately with the red flag and Simoncelli was transported by ambulance to the circuit medical centre where the medical staff worked to resuscitate him.
Despite their efforts, Marco sadly succumbed to his injuries at 4:56pm local time.
Everybody involved in MotoGP extends its deepest condolences to Marco’s family, friends and team at this tragic loss.
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