Kato stable, Gibernau to race on

Daijiro Kato showed some signs of improvement yesterday but is still in a critical condition after his accident at the first round of MotoGP on Sunday, in Suzuka, Japan.

With the rider making it through the critical first 48-hours and his condition looking more stable, his family and friends are putting on a positive front. Kato’s father was quoted in a Japanese paper saying his son is making good progress. He said: ” His blood pressure rose as high as 150 and his pulse as high as 100. If he keeps on improving at this rate, blood will begin circulating in the damaged part of the head. ”

Kato’s Team, Telefonica Moviestar Honda, has made the decision to go ahead and race at the next round of the championship in Welkom, South Africa, on April 27.

Team-mate Sete Gibernau said: ” This is a very difficult moment for the whole team. I know Daijiro very well, because we spent lots of time together last winter. I’m sure that, if only he could tell us something, he would tell us to go and race at Welkom and to do our best. I believe the best way to give him our support right now is to keep on going forward, never give up, and stay close to each other. ”

We’ll continue to bring you the latest updates on Kato’s condition. In the meantime post your messages of support on the MotoGP message board by following the link on the right.