Points for Gonzalez in Wet Argentina GP Moto2 Race

02-04-2023

Points for Gonzalez in Wet Argentina GP Moto2 Race

Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46 Master Camp‘s Manuel Gonzalez and Soichiro Minamimoto had a strong start to the Gran Premio de la República Argentina but fell back towards the end of the Moto2 race, which was shortened to 14 laps. They secured 11th and 20th place respectively.

Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46 Master Camp‘s Manuel Gonzalez scored 11th place and significant points in a soaked Moto2 race at the Autódromo Internacional de Termas de Río Hondo. Soichiro Minamimoto had a heroic start to the Gran Premio de la República Argentina and gained experience in tricky circumstances as he rode to 20th place.

Extremely wet conditions meant a shortened race distance, from originally 21 laps to a 14-lap dash.

Gonzalez had a strong start from seventh place and showed guts on the opening lap, completing it in third. But he wasn‘t quite able to match the pace and slowly fell back to seventh over the course of the first four laps. He stayed in the fight for sixth place as long as he could. He stalked Filip Salac but was overtaken by charging rivals in the final laps. The Spaniard took the chequered flag in 11th place.

Minamimoto was on a charge early on in his first-ever Moto2 race. Though he started from 27th on the grid, he gained 13 positions in no time, climbing as high as 11th midway through the third lap. The rookie then engaged in battle with far more seasoned Moto2 riders and learned from their riding styles. The Japanese rider was pushed back down the order but gained good experience that will aid him in future races. He crossed the finish line in 20th place.

Today‘s result earns Manugasss another 5 points. He is now on a 16 points total and in seventh place in the championship standings.

Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46 Master Camp will have one week off before they start Round 3, the Grand Prix of The Americas, in Austin, Texas.

Manuel Gonzalez

Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46 Master Camp

"Not the Sunday I was expecting. I had hoped for a dry race so I could show my potential and try to fight for the podium. But we had a wet race, and I finished in 11th position. It‘s not a super result, but my feelings on the wet are much better than last time, and I‘m happy with how I was able to manage the race in these conditions. We gained experience, and I‘m happy about this."

Soichiro Minamimoto

Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46 Master Camp

"I knew the first lap would be crucial for me, and I pushed really hard. I was able to overtake many riders, gaining a lot of positions. From the first lap to the last, my pace has been almost the same. I couldn‘t improve my lap time too much because the front part of the bike was moving a lot. The target for today was to finish the race, and I‘ve seen the chequered flag. It‘s been difficult, but I enjoyed my first Moto2 race a lot! I sincerely thank Yamaha and all my team. See you in Texas!"

Gelete Nieto

Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46 Master Camp, Sports Director

"Manu did a great start, gaining four positions. The first three laps were very good, his pace was good. But the riders in front of him were very fast, and he lost touch with the first group. He is happy because he gained a lot of confidence in the wet conditions. He had bad memories of the wet because of last year's accident in Motegi.

"We are really happy for Minamimoto. He did a superb start, overtaking many riders. It‘s been incredible how he managed it in his first Moto2 race ever! He has been so brave. He had to face expert riders. Our target for him was to finish the race, and we can say 'Mission accomplished'!"