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.”
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
“Angry” Dovizioso opens up over his Ducati MotoGP exit
Suzuki MotoGP team won’t replace F1-bound Brivio
Verstappen: F1 drivers should quit if not prepared for marathon battles
Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen says drivers should quit if they aren’t prepared for the intensity of super-close title battles.
Did Sato do enough in Super Formula to avoid Red Bull axe?
After just one season in Super Formula, Ren Sato has been axed by the Red Bull Junior Team, and his place on Honda’s 2023 roster is also uncertain. Jamie Klein looks back at the rookie’s campaign and asks if he deserves a second chance.
WRC pushes Middle East event plans to 2024
The World Rally Championship is working on delivering a desert rally event in the Middle East in 2024 after plans for next year failed to come to fruition.
The most dominant race win in modern F1
Winning margins in Formula 1 are usually measured in seconds. Occasionally, in a wet race, we get a race won by more than a minute.
Was the MotoGP 2022 title won by Bagnaia or lost by Quartararo?
Reigning MotoGP world champion Fabio Quartararo had a 91-point lead over rival Francesco Bagnaia after the German Grand Prix, a seemingly impregnable gap to overcome in the remaining 10 races. But as the Frenchman struggled for pace with his Yamaha, Bagnaia stormed back into contention and swept to Ducati's first riders' title since 2007
Why there's more to Honda's 2023 MotoGP bike than the Valencia test suggests
After a run on Honda's 2023 prototype MotoGP bike, six-time champion Marc Marquez made his pessimism clear with his initial reaction. But the Japanese marque has made leadership changes behind closed doors - and a more representative bike promised for the Malaysia test in February could placate Marquez.
Why new MotoGP champion Bagnaia has a stronger character than it seems
While new MotoGP champion Francesco Bagnaia might not be the loudest rider on the grid, his calm exterior belies a steely backbone. His part in turning around Ducati's fortunes at the start of the year, when displeased with a new engine concept, shows the strength of his character.
Why Bagnaia's MotoGP triumph is as worthy as Stoner's Ducati breakthrough
OPINION: Despite the superiority exhibited by the Ducati in 2022, the context in which Francesco Bagnaia became MotoGP world champion means that both the rider and the Italian marque merit the same recognition that the brand and Casey Stoner received after their 2007 title
Why the 2022 MotoGP season had a bittersweet ending
OPINION: MotoGP’s fifth last round showdown of the modern era delivered a tense finale despite the predictable outcome, as Francesco Bagnaia ended 15 years of pain for Ducati. But as emotions ran high for the Italian marque, a final victory for a departing Japanese rival tinged the campaign’s conclusion with sadness.
Why the 2023 MotoGP title battle has already begun
Since Ducati announced the arrival of Enea Bastianini to its factory team for 2023, the staging of the four-time race winner has strained the atmosphere within the Italian manufacturer, which has raised its guard in anticipation of what may happen between him and championship favourite Francesco Bagnaia.
Why Yamaha has just six months to safeguard Quartararo's future
Yamaha's decision to dispense pre-season with the 2022 engine it had intended to use due to lack of reliability, the promises of improvement to Fabio Quartararo and the advance with which the rider market moves leaves the Japanese brand with less than six months to prevent the Frenchman from starting to look for a way out
The war brewing as Ducati nears its ultimate MotoGP prize
OPINION: Francesco Bagnaia has put one hand firmly on the 2022 MotoGP world title after winning the Malaysian Grand Prix, and the permutations are weighted heavily in his favour heading to the Valencia finale. But as Ducati stands on the cusp of something it has longed for since 2007, the Sepang race also hinted towards a future problem…