The Spanish pilot of Gresini, Manu Gonzalezwent from winning his first Moto2 race to being the subject of controversy. His victory took a backseat after the team’s main sponsor, QJ Motor, called for his dismissal for making a political gesture before the race, which hurt “the national sentiments of the Chinese people”. The Madrid apologized.
In a video posted on his social networks, Manu apologizes to all those Chinese followers who might feel offended: “I’m making this video for everyone who was offended in China. for my photos on the grid of the Japanese GP,” began the winner of the Motegi race.
“It was not a political messagethese were only photos related to the country where the race was taking place. I did not intend to hurt the feelings of the Chinese people, It was a disrespectful and unintentional gesture and I regret it. I’m sorry, I hope you forgive me and have your support,” said the Spanish pilot, visibly affected by what happened.
– Manuel González Simon (@18ManuGonzalez) October 12, 2024
All the controversy comes from the fact that Manu González wore a hachimaki during the formation of the Moto2 grid, just before the start of the race in Motegi. He hachimaki It is a traditional Japanese ribbon with the design of the rising sun in the center, an imperial symbol, which was used by kamikaze pilots and other Japanese soldiers as a symbol of sacrifice and nationalist fervor during World War II. However, in China, this film recalls the atrocities committed by the Japanese army during the invasion of China, during which between 15 and 20 million Chinese lost their lives and is therefore considered an offense to the country .
Gresini sponsor calls for dismissal
For this reason, QJ enginemain sponsor of Gresini In Moto2, demanded the immediate dismissal of Manu González and requested that all images and videos from this moment be removed from social media and press areas: “Recently, during the highly anticipated MotoGP race in Motegi in October 2024, the QJMOTOR team won the race with an exceptional performance . However, a very discordant scene occurred on the track: González, driver of the Gresini team, was invited by the organizer before the start of the race and, in private, wore the country’s “Bojumaki” livery host and broadcast it on social networks. platforms. Gresini was required to immediately delete the images and videos in question.
Even if the Chinese giant understands that It was an “unintentional act” from the Spaniard, because “he did not understand the history of China”, they assure that this has hurt the feelings of the Chinese people and that is why they must immediately fire Manu González: “Good whether it was an involuntary act, as he was a European pilot and did not understand Chinese history, this behavior hurt the national feelings of Chinese pilots and the Chinese people.
