Fausto Gresini regains consciousness in COVID-19 battle
MotoGP team boss Fausto Gresini’s medical condition remains serious as he continues to battle COVID-19 but he is now conscious and stable in hospital.

The veteran team boss and 125cc world champion was taken ill just before the Christmas break when he tested positive for the virus.
Gresini was hospitalised on 27 December in Imola as his condition started to worsen, with continued deterioration in his health forcing him to be transferred to a specialist COVID care ward in a hospital in Bologna. Upon admittance he was placed into a medically-induced coma, from which he was gradually re-awakened last week.
In the latest update issued by his team, the Italian is showing signs of progress in his recovery. Gresini remains on mechanical ventilation and under some sedation, however.
The statement read: “Comforting news from the intensive care unit of the Maggiore Carlo Alberto Pizzardi hospital in Bologna. Fausto Gresini is conscious and in stable condition, even if the situation remains serious overall.”
Read Also:
Dr Nicola Cilloni added: “Fausto Gresini's clinical conditions are still serious, but more stable. It is still necessary to maintain mechanical ventilation to ensure good blood oxygenation.
“However, the clinical stability allowed to moderate the sedation and keep him conscious. He is a fighter and very collaborative and this helps clinicians a lot in managing the disease. Apart from the breath, all other organs are functional.”
Gresini is one of a number of high-profile MotoGP names to have caught the virus in the past year, though he's been the one most seriously affected by it. New Pramac MotoGP rider and former KTM Moto2 runner Jorge Martin was the first high-profile name to catch the virus last year, forcing him to miss the Misano double-header.
Nine-time grand prix world champion Valentino Rossi was absent from the Aragon races after he tested positive for the virus at home in Italy, while Tech3’s Iker Lecuona had to miss the final three rounds because of COVID-19.
Gresini will remain Aprilia’s factory entrant in MotoGP in 2021, but announced late last year it would return to being an independent team from 2022, as Aprilia enters as a standalone works squad.
Related video

Previous article
“Angry” Dovizioso opens up over his Ducati MotoGP exit
Next article
Suzuki MotoGP team won’t replace F1-bound Brivio

About this article
Series | MotoGP |
Teams | Aprilia Racing Team Gresini |
Author | Lewis Duncan |
Fausto Gresini regains consciousness in COVID-19 battle
Trending
Mandalika Circuit update
MotoGP Starting Grid: Doha Grand Prix
MotoGP Starting Grid: Qatar Grand Prix
Top 10 most successful Repsol Honda Team riders
The "pit bull" MotoGP rookie already drawing legendary comparisons
MotoGP’s 2021 rookie crop is one of the strongest in recent years, but one is already standing out. Jorge Martin’s Doha GP heroics have courted many to compare him to numerous MotoGP legends. Autosport spoke to Pramac boss Francesco Guidotti to find out why MotoGP’s latest Spanish star is already making such an impact
Why MotoGP's stewards must revisit Miller and Mir's Losail clash
Despite Suzuki’s decision not to appeal against Race Direction’s refusal to penalise Jack Miller following the incident with Joan Mir in Losail, something must be done to avoid a repeat of such an incident, which could have easily ended in tragedy
Why MotoGP’s top gun looks more dangerous at the Doha GP
Lightning hasn't struck twice for Maverick Vinales since 2017 and his wayward form of recent years makes predicting how he'll fare each MotoGP race weekend tricky. But fresh from his Qatar GP win, Vinales looks like an even more dangerous prospect for the Doha GP following an intriguing Friday practice.
Why MotoGP’s new Amazon Prime series is long overdue
OPINION: MotoGP is getting its own version of Drive to Survive on Amazon Prime at some point in the near future. It was news welcomed by the grid’s leading riders. And following the impact DTS has had on Formula 1, MotoGP desperately needs the same boost.
The key changes behind the latest 'return of the Mack'
Maverick Vinales’s authoritative victory at the MotoGP season opener came during a period of personal and professional change for the Yamaha rider. Can it be the springboard for a title challenge?
Why Lorenzo needs to ditch social media and enjoy retirement
OPINION: Jorge Lorenzo's status as one of the greatest MotoGP riders of all time is hard to dispute. But his constant social media spats with fellow riders and insistence on listing his achievements to his detractors are running the risk of tarnishing a legacy he worked hard to create.
Can leaving a factory team end Rossi’s MotoGP win drought?
It is over three-and-a-half years since the Italian national anthem rang out to declare a Valentino Rossi victory in MotoGP. To some onlookers his move out of the factory Yamaha squad meant the 2017 Dutch TT could remain his final win, but after an encouraging transition at Petronas SRT hope is far from lost
What Marquez will we get on his much-needed MotoGP return?
As Marc Marquez’s comeback draws nearer, the six-time MotoGP world champion will have the eyes of the motorsport world on him to see if his incredible speed returns instantly. How Marquez deals with this could be key to both what he and the wider grid faces in 2021