Gresini MotoGP boss' condition still "serious"" as COVID battle continues

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 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.