MANUEL GONZALEZ EXPLAINS THE DASHBOARD “L1” MESSAGE THAT TRIGGERED HIS PREMATURE CELEBRATION AT BRITISH GP

Moto2 rider Manuel Gonzalez admitted that a misleading message on his dashboard led to an early celebration that ultimately cost him victory at the British Grand Prix. Gonzalez had taken the lead by passing Daniel Holgado, with Filip Salac and Ivan Ortola close behind as the race entered its final phase. After crossing the line to begin what he believed was the last lap, the IntactGP rider stood up on the bike to celebrate—only for the chequered flag not to have been shown yet.

The mistake quickly turned into a bigger problem. Holgado tagged the rear of Gonzalez’s machine, leaving him with a broken exhaust. Gonzalez was forced to limp home and finished 14th, scoring just two points. Salac went on to win ahead of Ortola, while the chaotic ending also left Gonzalez’s championship momentum in jeopardy.

Speaking to DAZN after the race, Gonzalez tried to explain how he misread the situation. He said he had been searching for the lap marker on the start/finish straight for several laps, noting that it is “usually there,” but he couldn’t find it. Then, on the penultimate lap, he saw an “L1” indication on his dashboard and assumed it meant the final tour. “The clear thing is that I crossed the finish line there thinking it was the last one, but I wasn’t entirely sure that they had given me the finish line and I don’t know, I really don’t know how to explain it,” Gonzalez said. He added: “I’d been trying for a few laps to find the lap sign on the start/finish straight, which is usually there, and I couldn’t find it. Then, looking at my dashboard, I saw ‘L1’ on that penultimate lap. Part of me thought it was the last one, but I wasn’t entirely sure.”

Gonzalez also apologised to his team for the error and the bad luck that followed. “I apologise to the team for the mistake and bad luck, because it was a race to win, but well, you always have to take the positives,” he said.

Despite the setback, Gonzalez still leads the World Championship by 42.5 points. However, the result was a major missed chance to extend his advantage further, with Izan Guevara running sixth and Senna Agius outside the points. Looking ahead, Gonzalez is not expected to move up to MotoGP next year, though a rumour circulated that he could replace Johann Zarco at LCR. Zarco, though, is reportedly aiming to return at Misano. Gonzalez has also focused on World Superbikes and has made contact with Ducati after missing out on a BMW opportunity to Brad Binder. If he cannot secure a suitable seat in the sister series, he may remain in Moto2 for another season.