Luca Lunetta is making his debut this year in the Moto3 World Championship with the SIC58 Squadra Corse. The team’s confidence in him is clearly demonstrated by giving him a «free rein» to race with Marco Simoncelli’s #58. This opportunity was granted directly by Paolo Simoncelli, the owner and father of the late Italian rider.
Lunetta’s intentions are to repay that confidence by being the best rookie of the season: ‘Continue with the trend of growing, try to refine details. […] We are fighting with the competitors, let’s say. I would like to bring the Rookie of the Year title to the garage, achieving the maximum possible each weekend until Ricardo Tormo [Valencia]. We will assess with the team at the end of the year’.
Regarding the possibility of using the #58, the rider commented: ‘From the first races, I used the #58. I was young, I saw Marco as a reference, as an example. That’s why I chose #58, even though I wasn’t in the World Championship yet. Then the chance came up, thanks to the SIC58 Squadra Corse. I spoke with Paolo, asked him what he thought, «What if I used #58?» He replied: «No, look: don’t ask me. You have to use #58. You are strong, you look good». Imagine how motivated and excited I felt about such an endorsement. This is a responsibility, I admit, but I use it to perform even better’.
