Gresini's condition still "serious" as COVID battle continues
Gresini MotoGP boss Fausto Gresini remains in intensive care with COVID-19 as his condition remains "serious" due to his lungs being "hit hard" by the virus.
The double 125cc world champion and veteran MotoGP team boss took ill just before Christmas and was hospitalised on 27 December in Imola.
Due to his worsening condition he was transferred to a specialist COVID care unit in Bologna just before the new year, where has remained since.
Gresini was placed into a medically induced coma, but was brought out of this in early January.
Having remained under sedation and on a ventilator to aid breathing, doctors began to bring him out of this two weeks ago and he was able to talk to family members.
However, in the last week he has had to be put back into sedation to aid breathing while on a ventilator – with the latest update from the Gresini team also confirming there is an infection in his lungs.
A statement from the team read: "Fausto Gresini's conditions remain serious, as the former motorcycle world champion is still in the intensive care unit of the Maggiore Carlo Alberto Pizzardi hospital in Bologna.
"Here is today's s statement by Dr Nicola Cilloni: "Fausto's general conditions are unfortunately still serious.
"The lungs hit hard by the disease and by an overlapping infection are able to give oxygen to the blood only and aided by the mechanical ventilation machine.
"It is still necessary to keep Fausto asleep almost always to allow the mechanical fan to work properly.
"When he is periodically awakened, he is conscious and combative."
Much of the world is currently wrestling with a second wave of COVID-19 after several new, more infectious variants have emerged.
This acceleration in infections in Malaysia forced the country to declare a state of emergency last week, which resulted in MotoGP having to cancel its scheduled first pre-season test at Sepang in February.
It is not known currently how COVID will continue to impact the 2020 MotoGP calendar, though further revisions are expected.
Currently, the Qatar test is still scheduled to go ahead in March, with two extra days added to make up for the loss of the Sepang outing.
Share Or Save This Story
MotoGP 2025: Full rider line-up revealed
A year on from Marquez’s Germany MotoGP meltdown, has Honda improved?
What’s behind MotoGP’s right-hander chaos in Germany practice?
“With the photo, Marc wants to end speculation about his arm”, believes Alex Marquez
Alex Marquez says “stupid, unacceptable” mistake cost British GP podium
Fermin Aldeguer to miss British GP, Iker Lecuona drafted as replacement
Fred Vasseur shuts down claims Ferrari split Spanish GP strategy to separate drivers
Pedro Acosta backed to win KTM’s home MotoGP race - “if there’s a place, it’s here”
WRC 2026 to end in Sardinia as Rally Saudi Arabia is cancelled
Lewis Hamilton denies claims he is pushing Ferrari to replace key staff
Are Aprilia riders making it too easy for Marc Marquez to win the 2026 MotoGP title?
What we learned from MotoGP’s decisive San Marino Grand Prix
Pedro Acosta may not win a MotoGP race on a KTM - and that’s not a failure
Will the 2026 MotoGP title fight boil down to these three riders?
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
Top Comments