RideApart is sad to report that two-time 125cc champion and Gresini team owner Fausto Gresini died on February 23, 2021 after a two-month battle with COVID-19. He was 60 years old. Gresini fell ill with the disease shortly before Christmas 2020. At that point, he was hospitalized and put into a medically-induced coma to heal.
Since then, Gresini Racing has posted regular updates on its condition on all social media channels to encourage everyone to use their powers to recover. After persistent severe respiratory failure and interstitial pneumonia, Gresini unfortunately lost this fight only a few days after his 60th birthday.
Fausto Gresini started in the 125cc class of the world championship in 1983 and took his first race win in the class in 1984. In 1985 he won the entire 125cc championship. He followed this performance by finishing second in the 1986 season, then fighting back and winning his second championship title in 1987.
Gresini competed in the saddle until 1994 and won 21 races over the course of his career. After retiring from racing, he became a team manager and then a team owner. In one way or another, Fausto Gresini has been an integral part of world class motorcycle racing for over three decades, nurturing the talents of Daijiro Kato, Toni Elias, Marco Simoncelli, Jorge Martin and others.
Since the team’s official announcement that Gresini has passed away, tributes have been pouring in from racers and teams around the world, both inside and outside the motorcycle world. Gresini Racing will carry on his legacy after this tragedy, but to say it won’t be the same without him is a massive understatement.
He is survived by his family, friends, and the global racing community in which he has eagerly competed throughout his life. At RideApart, we extend our condolences and best wishes to Gresini’s family, friends, and everyone who loved him.