Manuel Gonzalez set for move to World Superbike – two factory offers on the table

One thing is certain: Moto2 World Championship leader Manuel Gonzalez will no longer be competing in the middleweight category of Grand Prix racing in 2027. The Madrid-born rider has been competing there since 2021 and has secured 9 wins, 23 podium finishes and 9 pole positions. In 2024, ‘Manu’ finished third in the World Championship; last year he was runner-up, and at the summer break he leads the standings with 195.5 points, 51.5 ahead of second-placed Izan Guevara.

Last year, Gonzalez came off second best against the eventual Moto2 champion Diogo Moreira in the battle for promotion to MotoGP; his manager, Eddy Rovelli, has so far been unable to provide any positive news for 2027 either. After months of negotiations, there is only one seat left that is still a possibility: at Tech3 KTM.

Pit Beirer: “Young riders are like shares”

Team principal Günther Steiner is looking for an experienced rider – Luca Marini is the frontrunner for the seat – as well as a young one. Second place will be decided between the two current Intact aces, Gonzalez and Senna Agius.

“Young riders are like shares,” KTM racing director Pit Beirer told SPEEDWEEK.com. “You speculate on how well they’ll develop in the future. If you ask me today who’s the better Moto2 rider, I’d say Gonzalez. But as for who will become the better MotoGP rider – I’m not so sure about that. It also depends on a rider’s height, how well they manage the tyres, their riding style, how they brake, and so on.”

Beirer might even take the risk of letting both Gonzalez and Agius ride for Tech3, as KTM has signed two experienced MotoGP winners – Alex Márquez (30) and Fabio Di Giannantonio (27) – for the next two years. But owner Steiner must also agree to this decision.

Two factory teams are after Manuel Gonzalez

Some experts in the MotoGP paddock see more potential in Agius, which is why Gonzalez has been testing the waters in the World Superbike Championship for some time now. There, he is at the top of the shopping list for two manufacturers: the top teams at Ducati and BMW!

You don’t need to be a prophet to predict that Gonzalez will choose Ducati over BMW if he has the choice. After all, the Aruba team has won every one of the 24 races so far this season, with Nicolo Bulega and Iker Lecuona even securing a one-two finish on 21 occasions.

BMW, on the other hand, has been struggling since Toprak Razgatlioglu’s move to MotoGP; Miguel Oliveira and Danilo Petrucci have so far been unable to match those performances. This is partly because they were sidelined by injury for a long time and partly because the current Ducati Panigale V4R is a technical masterpiece. BMW has already responded and is set to launch a new M1000RR for 2027, which will feature the special frame from 2024.

What role does his Spanish passport play?

It is difficult to assess what role Gonzalez’s Spanish nationality plays for Ducati: with Marc Marquez and Pedro Acosta, they already have two Spaniards in the MotoGP works team, and Lecuona also hails from the Iberian Peninsula. If Ducati signs Gonzalez, all four bikes will be in Spanish hands.

No Italian is currently in the running for the second spot in the Superbike World Championship; MotoGP rider Franco Morbidelli, who will be out of a job at the end of this season, would have the best chance. Celestino Vietti (24), currently seventh in the Moto2 World Championship, might also be a contender.

BMW is set to extend its contract with Oliveira shortly, likely for three years. Should the deal with Gonzalez not go through, Brad Binder and Jack Miller will move up the German manufacturer’s wish list.