MotoGP officials have confirmed that Moto2 rider Luis Salom has died of an accident during practice for the Catalan Grand Prix in the Spanish city of Barcelona.
The 24-year-old was struck by his motorbike which bounced against the outer wall of a track.
Salom underwent a surgery after being air-lifted to a hospital, but less than an hour later he was declared dead.
The Spaniard made his World Championship debut in 2009 in the 125cc category, and had 9 wins and 22 podiums in Moto3, and finished 2nd in the championship in 2012 and 3rd in 2013. He also finished on the podium 3 times in 41 appearances in the Moto2 World Championship.