It was a shocking scene this Sunday in Motegi: Manu Gonzalez, after his victory, wore a headband associated with the military. The sponsor has asked for his dismissal
Winning and then risking dismissal: it seems paradoxical, but that’s exactly what happened to Manu Gonzalez. The Spanish rider, who earned his first career victory in Moto2 at Motegi with the Gresini team (his previous best result was a 2nd place at Mugello), celebrated animatedly after the race. However, on the starting grid, number 18 unintentionally made a gesture that was not well-received by the team’s Chinese sponsor…
Gonzalez, without ill intention, wore a “hachimaki”, a Japanese headband largely associated with the military from World War II: although other riders also wore it, Gonzalez is the only one with a Chinese sponsor, a country that is particularly sensitive to this issue.
No mercy from QJ Motor for Manu Gonzalez: the company has demanded the immediate dismissal of the rider, a move that Gresini is unlikely to follow through on.
QJ Motor’s statement on Manu Gonzalez
“Recently, during the much-anticipated MotoGP Japan Motegi race of October 2024, the QJMOTOR team won the championship with an exceptional performance. However, a very discordant scene occurred at the event: Gonzalez, a rider from the partner team GRESINI, was invited by the organizers before the start of the race and privately wore the host country’s ‘Bojumaki’ decoration, later sharing it on social media. Although it was an unintentional act, as a European rider unfamiliar with Chinese history, this behavior hurt the national sentiments of Chinese riders and the Chinese people.
After the incident, Qianjiang Motorcycle immediately began negotiations with the partner team GRESINI, requesting that the related images and videos be immediately removed, and demanded that the team immediately terminate their collaboration with the rider.
Since its founding, Qianjiang Motorcycle has adhered to the core concept of ‘unique craftsmanship and the pursuit of excellence,’ carefully crafting each motorcycle and striving to perfectly integrate high quality, excellent performance, and great value, gaining widespread recognition in domestic and international markets.
The Qianjiang Motorcycle Club is committed to participating in various competitions. Through racing collaborations, it applies the technology developed in competitions to civilian vehicles, practicing and learning during the races, thus sharing the joy and excitement that these events offer.“
Photo: Gresini Racing, Manu Gonzalez