The racing went on, but in a moving moment on Sunday Moto GP riders paid their respects to Marco Simoncelli before the final round of the World Championship.

Simoncelli's Number 58 bike, ridden by former world champ Kevin Schwantz, led a procession around the Valencia circuit alongside competitors from all three categories of the championship.

The tribute lap ended with a two-minute firecracker salute on the grid, where 2000 people stood to pay their respects.

The 24-year-old, a popular rider and rising star in the sport, lost his life during a horrific crash at the Malaysian MotoGP in Sepang on October 23.

Tags: marco simoncelli, valencia, moto gp