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Gresini’s Moto2 team has dropped the branding of a Chinese sponsor which demanded it sack rider Manu Gonzalez for wearing a Japanese headband in Motegi
Gresini Racing’s Moto2 team will no longer display the branding of their Chinese title sponsor QJ Motor for the remaining races of the 2024 season, due to a controversy involving Manuel Gonzalez wearing a traditional Japanese hachimaki headband before his victory at Motegi. Despite this decision, the team will honor the remaining four races of Gonzalez’s contract. The hachimaki, a traditional Japanese item, has a historical significance back to the samurai era and was used by the Japanese military during World War II. Following Japan’s invasion of China in 1937, the hachimaki carries a very different context in China. Gresini Racing is currently engaged in positive discussions with QJ Motor to mend the relationship, and in a gesture of respect towards China, the team will compete without branding for the remaining four rounds of the season. Gonzalez issued an apology, clarifying that his intention was not political, but a simple act related to the host city of the race, expressing regret and seeking forgiveness and support.
