Fausto Gresini (23 January 1961 – 23 February 2021) was an Italian professional motorcycle road racer and racing team manager. He competed in Grand Prix motorcycle racing from 1983 to 1994, most prominently as a two-time 125cc world champion riding for the Garelli factory racing team.^[1]

After his racing career, he formed the Gresini Racing team which he operated until his death from COVID-19 in 2021.

Motorcycle racing career

Gresini was born at Imola. He began racing in 1978 at the age of 17 on a Minarelli 50 in Italy, and in 1983 he joined the Grand Prix circuit with the MBA team.

During his riding career, Gresini won two world championship titles in the 125cc class in 1985 and 1987. He was vice-champion in the 125cc class in 1986 aboard a Garelli and in 1991 and 1992 with Honda. He accumulated 21 victories and raced in 132 Grand Prix with 15 second places and 11 third places. He is tied with Ángel Nieto for the record of 11 consecutive victories in the 125 class, accomplished across 1986 and 1987. He holds the record of the most 125cc victories in one season with ten in 1987 - he crashed in the final race but won all others.

Racing team management career

Gresini held the management role for the Aprilia Racing Team Gresini MotoGP team. His team has won two world championships with Daijiro Kato winning the 2001 250cc world championship, and Toni Elías winning the 2010 Moto2 world championship. Kato died in hospital two weeks after crashing during the 2003 Japanese Grand Prix on 6 April 2003.^[2] On 23 October 2011, the Gresini team suffered another loss when rider Marco Simoncelli died soon after an accident at the Malaysian Grand Prix. The team's other rider at the time was Hiroshi Aoyama.

Death

On 27 December 2020, Gresini was hospitalized at the Ospedale Maggiore in Bologna after contracting COVID-19 amid the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy. After an apparent initial improvement in his condition, on 18 February 2021 he worsened with a serious lung infection. He died in hospital from the illness' complications on 23 February 2021, at the age of 60, one month after his birthday.^[3]

Grand Prix career statistics

Points system from 1969 to 1987.

Position	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
Points	15	12	10	8	6	5	4	3	2	1

Points system from 1988 to 1992

Position	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15
Points	20	17	15	13	11	10	9	8	7	6	5	4	3	2	1

Points system from 1993 onwards.

Position	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15
Points	25	20	16	13	11	10	9	8	7	6	5	4	3	2	1

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year	Class	Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	Points	Rank	Wins
1983	125cc	MBA	FRA NC	NAT 7	GER 6	ESP 6	AUT 4	YUG NC	NED 10	BEL 9	GBR 6	SWE 2	RSM NC				37	9th	0
1984	125cc	MBA	NAT NC	ESP NC	GER 4												51	3rd	1
1984	125cc	Garelli				FRA 4	NED NC	GBR 3	SWE 1	RSM 3							51	3rd	1
1985	125cc	Garelli	ESP 2	GER 2	NAT NC	AUT 1	NED 3	BEL 1	FRA 2	GBR 4	SWE 3	RSM 1					109	1st	3
1986	125cc	Garelli	ESP 1	NAT 1	GER 2	AUT NC	NED 2	BEL 4	FRA 2	GBR NC	SWE 1	RSM 3	BWU 1				114	2nd	4
1987	125cc	Garelli	ESP 1	GER 1	NAT 1	AUT 1	NED 1	FRA 1	GBR 1	SWE 1	CZE 1	RSM 1	POR DNF				150	1st	10
1988	125cc	Garelli	ESP 4	NAT NC	GER -	AUT -	NED NC	BEL -	YUG -	FRA -	GBR 7	SWE NC	CZE NC				22	21st	0
1989	125cc	Aprilia	JPN 11	AUS 7	ESP 5	NAT 3	GER NC	AUT 5	NED 6	BEL 7	FRA 5	GBR 8	SWE 5	CZE 14			102	5th	0
1990	125cc	Honda	JPN 7	ESP 3	NAT NC	GER -	AUT NC	YUG 6	NED 8	BEL 8	FRA NC	GBR 8	SWE 5	CZE 7	HUN 4	AUS 5	102	8th	0
1991	125cc	Honda	JPN 2	AUS 2	ESP 2	ITA 1	GER NC	AUT 1	EUR 2	NED 4	FRA 3	GBR 2	RSM 3	CZE 6	MAL 4		181	2nd	2
1992	125cc	Honda	JPN NC	AUS 5	MAL 8	ESP 2	ITA 5	EUR 3	GER 2	NED 2	HUN 3	FRA NC	GBR 1	BRA 6	RSA 7		118	2nd	1
1993	125cc	Honda	AUS 5	MAL 8	JPN NC	ESP NC	AUT 8	GER 17	NED DNF	EUR 17	RSM 10	GBR 7	CZE -	ITA 10	USA 16	FIM 4	61	11th	0
1994	125cc	Honda	AUS 4	MAL 6	JPN 18	ESP DNF	AUT 8	GER 13	NED 16	ITA 17	FRA 10	GBR 20	CZE -	USA DNS	ARG NC	EUR 10	46	16th	0