On January 20, 2022, Marco Simoncelli, known as “Sic,” would have turned 35 years old. The Italian motorcycle racing champion, who died prematurely in an accident during a race in Malaysia in 2011, came from a Catholic family. In a recent interview with Sky Sport, Marco’s father, Paolo Simonelli, recounted a meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican, apparently referring to a visit in September of 2018. The frank encounter changed the way he viewed the pope and ended with a hug.
In these photos, Paolo can be seen during the audience at the end of a row of MotoGP representatives.
