Doctor Costa: Sic last hero

For everyone he is Doctor Costa. He is the inventor of the so-called mobile clinic, the emergency medical facility designed to help riders injured during motorcycle races. Now Claudio Costa is considering taking a step back. The innovative experience would be coming to an end: the mobile clinic, conceived and created in 1976, "he won't need me anymore".

But farewell is not around the corner. The new agreement stipulated with the international Federation due to the presence of the mobile clinic in the world circuits it has a duration of 5 years, and Costa has not "no desire” to withdraw and “stay away from racing”. But the cryptic words spoken at the Panathlon Club in Imola suggest the start of a period of reflection.

In the land of Romagna one could not miss memory of Simoncelli, the young driver who died following an accident on the Sepang circuit: “Up until Marco there were riders who, despite having suffered injuries or fractures, still wanted to race and I did my best. Today this is no longer the case. Faced with fractures, the pilot must adapt to a longer stop, there are no longer crazy people like Marco".

The mobile clinic made its debut in the world championship during the MotoGP race in Salzburg in May 1977. And if that circumstance already demonstrated its indispensability, the structure will be remembered for real feats. At Assen in 1992, it was Mick Doohan's leg amputation averted, subsequent winner of five world titles in the 500 class.