Luca Salvadori crash reconstruction made public

Maurizio Salvadori, father of the Italian motorcycle racer Luca Salvadori, has posted a video to his late son’s YouTube channel featuring a reconstruction of the crash which led to his death.

The video was posted at the end of December and includes an English-dubbed monologue from Maurizio Salvadori.

The video description reads as follows: “Today, on the last Monday of a 2024 that has deeply affected us, Maurizio has decided to share an important update with you.

“This video was created to answer your many questions, to clarify the dynamics of Luca's accident and to share some reflections on the future of his channel and the community he created.

“Maurizio will talk to you about the choices made to honor Luca's memory, the project to create a space dedicated to him in the Trident Motorsport factory and his legal battle to ensure greater safety in road motorcycle competitions.

“He will also ask you for an opinion on a truly important initiative: the Foundation in Luca's name, to help motorcyclists who are victims of accidents.”

Salvadori had been racing in the International Road Racing Championship for the first time in 2024, when he crashed at the Frohburg circuit in Germany in September.

The reconstruction shown in the video shows how Salvadori crashed when trying to avoid a rider who fell in front of him in a corner that he entered at 250kph (155mph).

Salvadori hit the rider and fell himself, heading towards a barrier that was placed around some trees, and which was perpendicular to the track in the place where Salvadori’s bike hit it.

Maurizio Salvadori says that because the fences that made up the barrier were not fixed in place, they were able to be moved out of the way by Salvadori’s bike, meaning that when Salvadori himself reached the barrier he went straight through the gap and straight into the straw bales behind.

Mr. Salvadori said his son reached the barrier at a speed of 102kph (63mph), and suggested that the barriers used in this case were not fit for purpose.

“It must be said that these air barriers are not approved,” Mr. Salvadori said. “They were not fixed to the ground per regulations, and it seems that they are protective barriers used for cycling races.”

He continued: “It must be added that straw bales — which are mechanically pressed, not like those used in the past — have been banned since 2018. I think there is little to add to this situation.”

The full video can be watched below.