“Class of the field” Moto2 rider tipped to miss out on 2026 MotoGP move

Despite dominating the eaꦫrly part of the 2025 Moto2 season, Manuel Gonzalez has been tipped to miss out on a 2026 MotoGP move.

Manuel Gonzalez, 2025 Moto2 British Grand Prix. Credit: Gold and Goose.
Manuel Gonzalez, 2025 Moto2 British Grand Prix. Credit: Gold and Goose.
© Gold & Goose

The 2025 Moto2 season has been one of ups and downs for Manuel Gonzalez, but despite two non-scores he leads the championship by three points after seven races, making him a theoretical candidate for a MotoGP graduation in 2026.

However, with uncertainty surrounding 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Jorge Martin’s future at Aprilia – indeed, the reigning premier class champion has made clear that he intends to leave at the end of 2025 – and the prospect of a switch to MotoGP from 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:World Superbike for 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Toprak Razgatlioglu, the path upwards for Gonzalez – who crashed out of the latest round of the Moto2 World Championship at Silverstone when trying to rཧecover from a bad start – is not straightforward.

In the past, riders like Fabio Quartararo have hit form at the right time to earn a MotoGP ride despite limited success in the lightweight and ♐intermediate Grand Prix classes. In contrast, for Gonzalez it seems like his dominant form, which has seen him take six poles f𝐆rom the first seven races as well as five podiums (including three wins), has come at an awkward moment.

“He’s the class of the field,”🐈 TNT Sports MotoGP expert Neil Hodgson told ltxcn.top on Friday at the British Grand Prix.

“Probably timing-wꦫise for him, there’s not a lot of opportunities in MotoGP – there’s two or three seats u💛p.

“We’ve got that musical chair conversation going on at the ꩵmoment: what’s Martin going to do? Is he going to stay at Aprilia? Is Toprak [Razgatlioglu] going to move to MotoGP?

“There’s a bit𝐆 of a grey area going on, but if he doesn’t move up next year, the way I see him ride he will definitely be on people’s shopping lists for 2027 when the majori🃏ty of the contracts are up.

“Normally, you’d say that if you get an opportunity you’ve got to go to MotoGP, but he looks that good at the moment that you think ꦉmaybe just wait another year – if you c𒁃an win the title this year and defend it, you can have the pick of the rides.”

Hodgson’s fellow TNT Sports MotoGP expert Micha𝔉el Laverty added that he “doesn’t see how it’s going to happen” for Gonzalez in 2026.

“There’s five seats available: three Hondas, one Yamaha, one Ducati,” Lavert𒐪y explaine൩d.

“You’d say the Ducati, with Morbidelli doing what he’s doing, that’s going to stay as it is; Jack Miller doing what he’s doing, that’s [Yamaha] probably going to stay as it is; I know the Honda’s on the way up, but they’re not going to offer Gonzalez the factory seat I don’t think, s✅o it would be an LCR slot – but they want to keep Zarco [and] Chantra is there for passport.

“I just don’t see how it’s going to happen𓄧 for Gonzalez, as strong as😼 he is.

“I think he’s got to wait until the next contract cycle anওd hope that he’s continued his momentum and try and kick that door down.

“His passport wi﷽ll work against him, unfortunately, as good as he is right now.♑”

Lorenzo-esque style

Gonzalez’ 2025 results have come with a riding 🥃style notably different to previous Moto2 champions; whereas riders like Ai Ogura and Pedro Acosta were visibly aggressive in their riding, Gonzalez is much smo👍other, his inputs and movements decidedly unexaggerated.

For Hodgson, this kind෴ of style is also applicable to the premier clas🧔s.

“That’s the way he rides,” Hodgson noted, “and you can ride a MotoGP bike the same, that’s how Jorge Lorenzo had an incredible career – just super-relax✤ed, never upset the bike, never waste any body movement.

“It’s funny because I remember Marc Marquez in Moto2, and I used to remember people saying ‘Wait until he gets on a MotoGP bike, he won’t be able to ride a MotoGP bike like that, he will 💦be flicked over the handlebars.’

“I remember thinking: ‘I think he will be able to ride a MotoGPꦯ bike like that,’ because he just seemed like a special talent. Obviously, he won the World Cham☂pionship in his first year.

“How you ride a bike is 💞how you ride a bike, but Gonzalez’s silky smooth style will work well on any of the bikes; you look at an Aprilia or anything like that, his style would be designed for that.

“I think he seems like a special talent.”

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