The 2008 250cc championship was a season of two halfs for Marco Simoncelli, who recovered from a slow start to claim the title at the penultimate round in Malaysia.
Having started the season on a semi-works Gilera, Simoncelli caught the eye of his bosses with a string of podium finishes, leading to the Italian's promotion to a fully fledged works bike.
Having spent two previous seasons cutting his teeth in 250cc without gracing the podium, Simoncelli broke his duck with top-three finishes in China and France before claiming his first win in the series at his home circuit Mugello, a result that saw the 21-year-old begin to exert pressure on early title leader Mika Kallio.
News
Simoncelli overcomes slow start
