Manuel Gonzalez enters the summer break as the solid leader of the Moto2 World Championship, while leaving his future in MotoGP in doubt…
By Manuel Pecino / Motosan.es
During the summer break of the World Championship, Manu Gonzalez He takes the time to reflect on a near-perfect first half of the season, which has allowed him to dominate the Moto2 standings with authority. Beyond the numbers, the Madrid native discusses his handling of pressure, his progress compared to 2024, and a future that remains to be written, as all options remain open. Between MotoGP rumors, a possible contract extension, and interest from other championships, "Manu Gas" He keeps calm and remains focused on a single objective: to give his all every weekend.
Manuel Gonzalez MotoGP Manuel Gonzalez MotoGP
"When you're leading the league, the season seems very long."
You have been in the spotlight for several weeks, not only for your on-track results, but also for your future. How are you experiencing this situation?
“It’s not just because of that, it’s also because I’m leading the championship. When you’re in first place, the year seems very long. You always wish the season would end sooner because everything is going well, but that’s also part of the pressure. Little by little, you get used to it. When you’re in front, the pressure is always there. Whether people talk about me for one reason or another, in the end it’s always related to the same thing. I just stay focused on my work, that’s all.”
His favorite circuits
Leading the championship with
51,5 points ahead, two Grands Prix contested as leader and only three races off the podium out of elevenThe overall result is largely positive.
“Yes. I said it right after the Sachsenring: if I had to give a rating to this first part of the season, it would be
On 9,5 10We've improved everything we needed to improve compared to last year. As always, perfection doesn't exist. In motorcycling, you sometimes have to make decisions a bit blindly, like with the tire at the Sachsenring, and trust your instincts. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. But I really can't complain about anything this season.
"I know I can get on the podium anywhere."
How are you approaching the rest of the season? Drivers usually know which circuits they can attack or defend on. Do you also have this list in mind?
“I know I can get on the podium at any circuit, but there are some where I have a slight edge. If I had to name tracks where I can aim for victory with a bit more ease—even though nothing is ever easy—I would say Mugello, for example. Silverstone is also a very good circuit for me, as are Portimão and Indonesia. There are several. The last few races were on circuits that were quite technically demanding in terms of riding. Now we have tracks that suit me better, even if some will be more complicated, like Austria or Misano, where I'm a little less comfortable. But we have potential everywhere.”
A radical change of mindset
What did you learn from last season? Did you realize that there are factors beyond your control that can ruin everything you control?
“It’s obvious. In motorcycling, anything can happen. You can be in contention for the championship and then blow your engine mid-race. There are many things you can’t control and there’s no point in thinking about them. They can happen… or not. Last year, I lost a lot of points at the beginning of the season in races where I could have done much better.”
“Today, I try to stay calmer and focus much more on each race, on each point. I no longer think about the championship as a whole, but only about the next race and how to achieve the best possible result. This season, we've also changed the way we work during the weekends. We're placing much more emphasis on the race itself. We're running more on used tires, which gives us experience and confidence. In the race, I understand the bike better, I manage the tires better, and that has helped me a lot to get on the podium so often.”
"Winter allowed me to start from scratch."
Was last winter mentally difficult?
“Yes, but in the end it was almost easier than the end of the season. I was at home, training, and rediscovering my fighting spirit. Every time I’ve gone through a difficult period in my career, the very next day I’ve had even more motivation to get back to the top, to fight again and prove my worth. This winter did me a world of good. I was able to forget everything, work on myself, get back into training… A new season was starting, but with the same mentality: to win and fight again the following year.”
"I won't be discouraged if I have to stay in Moto2."
I was told there was a possibility of extending your contract and staying in Moto2 with your team.
“Yes, there are possibilities. Jürgen always jokes that he’s going to handcuff me to the garage. He absolutely doesn’t want to let me go. We have many options open and no decision has been made yet. MotoGP remains a possibility, nothing has been confirmed and we’re still waiting. If I have to go back to Superbike, I’ll be very happy about that too.”
“Lately, I keep thinking how lucky I am to be doing what I love, which is racing motorcycles at the highest level. No matter where I am, I will always be motivated to give my all, to prove my worth and to win, because that's what drives me. I won't be demoralized if I have to stay in Moto2. My mentality won't change, regardless of the championship I race in.”
"Predicting who will be the fastest in MotoGP starting from Moto2 is like playing guessing games."
Pete Beirer recently stated that if he had to name the best Moto2 rider, he would unhesitatingly choose Manu González, while also clarifying that it was impossible to know who would be the best in MotoGP. What do you think?
“I think trying to determine who will be the fastest in MotoGP simply by looking at Moto2 performances is a bit like guessing. There are very few factors that actually allow us to know. Each rider has a different style, rides for a different team, works with a different engineer, has a different setup, and has followed a completely different path. So it’s very difficult to analyze. Look at Quartararo: he only won a few races in Moto2, then he became world champion in MotoGP.”
"It's not fair, but results alone aren't enough in MotoGP."
Izan Guevara, Senna Agius, David Alonso, and Daniel Holgado are behind you in the championship. Is it fair that you still don't have a guaranteed place in MotoGP?
“No, it’s not fair. If you only look at the numbers, it shouldn’t be like that. But in MotoGP, results and performance alone don’t count. Many other factors come into play, and these are things we, as riders, don’t really have any control over. As I often say, everyone has followed a different path. You have to analyze what each rider has achieved with the resources they had. You shouldn’t just look at the results, but also what they managed to do with what they had. It’s not the same thing to arrive in a team that’s already winning as it is in a brand-new structure. It’s also not the same thing to come from Supersport with a production-derived bike as it is to come directly from Moto3.”
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Manuel Pecino Manuel Gonzalez MotoGP Manuel Gonzalez MotoGP