Gino Rea ‘up on his feet’ again as he continues Suzuka 8 Hours crash recovery

Gino Rea is ‘up on his feet and taking strides in confidence’ almost a month on from the accident during the Suzuka 8 Hours event that left him in a coma.

The Englishman, competing in the classic Japanese event as part of the Endurance World Championship he contests with the FCC TSR France Honda team, was seriously injured in an accident at the Triangle Chicane during the Free Practice 3 session on August 6.

Placed into a coma for almost a week after suffering serious head injuries, Rea’s family have posted regular updates in the days and weeks on from the smash.

The latest news from the family - which came a week on from the previous one - reveals he is continuing to make significant progress along the road to recovery, including how he greets them with ‘a smile every day’ and is now able to get onto his feet.

“Gino greets us with a smile every day at the hospital.

“He has continued to surprise everyone again and again, always keeping on track to achieving his short-term goals. 

“He’s now up on his feet taking strides in confidence and engages well with everyone.”

Rea - the 2009 European Superstock 600 Champion - is competing in EWC as a full factory Honda rider for the first time, his move to the French-based FCC TSR team preceded by a series of giant-killing performances on the privateer Wojcik Yamaha the two previous seasons.

Going on to top the rostrum in the WorldSSP Championship following his SSTK 600 success, Rea also has a podium to his name in the Moto2 World Championship.

Making his Superbike debut with a move to BSB in 2018, a call up to the Buildbase Suzuki team mid-way through the 2020 season led to a full-time campaign in 2021 that yielded two victories at Donington Park.