Pesaro, Italy - Authorities in Italy ordered Saturday a post-mortem on the body of Moto GP world champion Valentino Rossi's stepfather who is believed to have committed suicide, news reports said.

The 52-year-old Mauro Tecchi was found Friday lying on a bed in his house in the central Italian town of Pesaro with what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound, the ANSA news agency reported.

Tecchi, who married Rossi's mother Stefania Palma in 2007, apparently placed a pillow on his chest before pulling the trigger of a 12-gauge shotgun which was found near his body, the reports said.

Tecchi died either Tuesday or early Wednesday but his body was only discovered Friday when Palma, who was at the time out of town, alerted neighbours after repeatedly trying to phone her husband.

News of Tecchi's death came ahead of Sunday's Australian Moto GP race in Sydney where Rossi has qualified third on the starting grid.

Rossi has an 18-point lead in the championship standings over his Yamaha teammate Jorge Lorenzo who qualified fourth quickest.

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