until Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League
Aprilia MotoGP team boss Fausto Gresini has suffered another setback in his recovery from COVID-19 but is slowly improving, according to a hospital update.
Gresini was hospitalised with COVID-19 six weeks ago and has remained in intensive care at Bologna’s Ospedale Maggiore Carlo Alberto Pizzardi Hospital.
In a statement released on Monday evening, Doctor Nicola Cilloni said that Gresini had suffered a difficult week with complications from COVID-19 and that while he was stable, his situation is still serious and his prognosis remains confidential.
“Fausto Gresini is still hospitalised in the intensive care unit of the Maggiore hospital for the persistence of severe respiratory failure due to the complications of COVID infection – with important interstitial pneumonia,” said the statement.
“After a sudden worsening of the respiratory function in the past week, in the past few days the health conditions have improved – thanks also due to machinery that helped remove carbon dioxide from the blood, allowing less stress on the lungs.
“The general clinical picture remains serious and the prognosis is still confidential.”
Gresini’s team announced late last year that it was splitting with Aprilia at the end of 2021 to return to independent status.
In its heyday as Honda’s main satellite team, Gresini Racing was a MotoGP race-winner with Sete Gibernau, Marco Melandri and Toni Elias. It also has teams in Moto2, Moto3 and MotoE, where it took Matteo Ferrari to the inaugural title in 2019.
Gresini himself was a double 125cc world champion in the 1980s during his riding career.
