Manu Gonzalez’s recent victory in Motegi took an unexpected turn when he celebrated his triumph by sporting a Japanese ‘hachimaki’. This blindfold, although innocent in the eyes of the Spanish driver, provoked a negative reaction from the main sponsor of his team, QJMotor, a Chinese brand. This symbol, which dates back to Japanese military history from World War II, arouses mixed feelings, particularly in China, where it is closely linked to the tragic events of the Japanese invasion.
In response, QJMotor took drastic measures, asking the team Gresini to end its collaboration with Gonzalez. In a public statement, the company expressed its displeasure, saying: “ Following the incident, Qianjiang Motorcycle immediately held solemn negotiations with its partner team Gresini, demanding that the affected images and videos be immediately deleted and that the team immediately end its cooperation with the pilot.
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Gonzalezmeanwhile, spoke out for the first time since this incident, publishing an apology video on his social networks. With sincerity, he said: “ I am writing this message to apologize to anyone in China who was offended by some photos of me taken on the starting grid of the Grand Motegi in Japan. This was not intended to be a political message, it was simply a few photographs related to the moment. »
QJMotor remains inflexible
The pilot also sent a direct message to
QJMotorhoping to be able to make amends: “ once again i am so sorry and i hope i can be forgiven and still have your support, thank you. »
However, the situation appears to have already had visible repercussions. On the official website of Gresini Racingthe logo of QJMotor has disappeared from the Moto2 section, and no photos of González are currently visible. Although no official statement has been released by either party, this sudden change is easily interpreted as a sign of a possible sponsor withdrawal.
It remains to be seen whether
Gonzalez et
Gresini Racing will be able to repair this rupture with QJMotor or if this incident will mark a turning point in their collaboration in the Grand Prix.
