F1 and MotoGP to honour late Fausto Gresini on Sunday
The Formula 1 and MotoGP paddock will come together this Sunday to observe a moment of silence for late team boss and two-time 125cc world champion Fausto Gresini.
Veteran MotoGP team boss Gresini sadly died in February following a two-month battle with COVID-19.
The Italian – who was 125cc motorcycle grand prix world champion in 1985 and 1987 – was a highly respected figure in the world of motorsport, with MotoGP observing a moment of silence during the Qatar Grand Prix weekend in March.
Gresini was born in Imola, where the second round of the 2021 F1 season – the Emilia Romagna GP – is taking place this weekend.
As a mark of respect for Gresini, both the F1 paddock in Italy and the MotoGP paddock in Portugal will stand together in a minute of silence.
A brief statement from MotoGP read: “As a tribute to the late, great Italian, a minute of silence will be observed during both the Formula 1 Pirelli Gran Premio Del Made In Italy E Dell'emilia Romagna and the MotoGP Grande Premio 888 de Portugal on Sunday at 13:42 in Imola and 12:42 in Portimao.
“At the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari, F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali will be joined in parc ferme by members of Gresini’s family to observe the minute of silence.
Fausto Gresini tribute on the Bike of Aprilia Racing Team Gresini
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
“At the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve, the bikes, riders and team members from the MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3 class Gresini teams will gather in front of the Aprilia Racing Team Gresini box ahead of the MotoGP™ race, joined by FIM President Jorge Viegas and Dorna Sports CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta, to pay their respects.”
The Gresini team has continued racing in 2021, with plans to once again return to independent status in MotoGP in 2022 still going ahead currently.
The Aprilia – whose factory entry is run in conjunction with Gresini Racing – RS-GPs of Aleix Espargaro and Lorenzo Savadori are running tributes to the late Gresini this season.
F1 announced earlier this week it had moved its qualifying session for the Imola round to avoid clashing with the funeral of Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh, who died age 99 last week.
There are no changes to MotoGP’s schedule this weekend because of the royal funeral – though the MotoGP race will take place before Moto2 at 1pm local time on Sunday to avoid a clash with the F1 race.
Related video
No further action after Perez/Ocon clash in FP1
Emilia Romagna GP practice as it happened
Verstappen exclusive: Why F1's champion isn't fazed by Silverstone return
Max Verstappen is the world’s number one racing driver… and he’s determined to keep it that way. Speaking exclusively to GP Racing's OLEG KARPOV, the Red Bull driver explains why he’s relishing the 2022 championship battle with Charles Leclerc – and why he’s not worried about returning to Silverstone, the scene of the biggest accident of his career last year
Why Red Bull’s RB17 hypercar can help its F1 team
On Tuesday, Red Bull laid out its plans to develop and build a new hypercar - the RB17 - penned by Adrian Newey. As the project itself sates Newey as a creative outlet, it also offers Red Bull's Formula 1 team a number of new and exciting avenues to pursue.
What to expect from Mercedes as F1 returns to Silverstone
OPINION: The British Grand Prix is a home event for Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, with their Mercedes team based just a few miles away too. But there’s another reason why the Silver Arrows squad is eager to arrive at Silverstone this weekend, which may help it fix its remaining problems with its 2022 Formula 1 challenger .
Inside AlphaTauri’s Faenza F1 factory
AlphaTauri’s mission in F1 is to sell clothes and train young drivers rather than win the championship – but you still need a cutting-edge factory to do that. Team boss Franz Tost takes GP Racing’s Oleg Karpov on a guided tour of a facility that’s continuing to grow.
Connecting two of Ferrari's favourite F1 sons: Villeneuve and Leclerc
Gilles Villeneuve's exploits behind the wheel of a Ferrari made him a legend to the tifosi, even 40 years after his death. The team's current Formula 1 star Charles Leclerc enjoys a similar status, and recently got behind the wheel of a very special car from the French-Canadian’s career.
How a 30cm metal wire triggered open warfare in the F1 paddock
Porpoising has become the key talking point during the 2022 Formula 1 season, as teams battle to come to terms with it. An FIA technical directive ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix and a second stay appearing on the Mercedes cars only served to create a bigger debate and raise tensions further
Does Max Verstappen have any weaknesses left?
Having extended his Formula 1 points lead with victory in Canada, Max Verstappen has raised his game further following his 2021 title triumph. Even on the days where Red Bull appears to be second best to Ferrari, Verstappen is getting the most out of the car in each race. So, does he have any weaknesses that his title rivals can exploit?
How F1's future fuels can shape the automotive sector
In 2026, Formula 1 plans to make the switch to a fully sustainable fuel, as the greater automotive world considers its own alternative propulsion methods. Biogasoline and e-fuels both have merit as 'drop-in' fuels but, equally, both have their shortcomings...