After he was diagnosed yesterday evening with mild thoracic and abdominal trauma, following a motocross accident.

Rossi, who now sits in third place in the MotoGP World Championship, six points behind Repsol Honda’s Dani Pedrosa, spent a quiet night at the “Ospedale Infermi” in Rimini and was visited this morning by the doctors.

The Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team rider told that he is experiencing less pain both in the chest and in the abdomen, compared to last night. The pain is the result of slight liver and kidney lesions that have not evolved into further complications.

Rossi will continue to receive pain relief over the next 12 hours and, over the course of the day, he will undergo routine diagnostic tests. If the results are positive, the now 38-year-old may be discharged from the hospital within the day.

Further updates are to follow in due course.

Credit: Kaneal Lindsey

Words and Photography by Russell Colvin