THE TEAM
Yamaha VR46 Master Camp
The Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46 Master Camp is a project that is very dear to Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd.’s and VR46’s heart. Sharing a goal of helping young racing talent, they initiated the bi-annual Yamaha VR46 Master Camp five-day training program in Tavullia in 2016. In 2017, the two companies also started the VR46 Junior Team project to allow Master Camp recruits and Yamaha bLU cRU riders to gain further racing experience in Europe. The CEV team moved up from the Moto3 class to the Moto2 class in 2019 and has worked hard to up its level every single year in preparation for the next step.
In 2022, the Yamaha VR46 Master Camp project reached new heights with its debut in the Moto2 World Championship.
In 2023, talented riders Manuel Gonzalez and Kohta Nozane spearhead the Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46 Team, which is helmed by Sports Director Gelete Nieto, in the intermediate class.
JOIN OUR NEWSLETTER!
MANUEL GONZALEZ
@manugonzalez_18
BIOGRAPHY
Manuel Gonzalez first made his name at just 15 years old when he won the European Talent Cup. He then joined WorldSSP300 full-time in 2018. After a challenging start, he took off in the last three rounds achieving three consecutive podiums, all in third position.
In 2019, he was recruited by the Kawasaki ParkinGO team. The change of bike turned out to be the trigger for a season in which he made history by becoming the youngest World Champion in motorcycling road racing after picking up three victories and a total of six podiums.
A stunning 2020 season in WorldSSP saw the rookie finish every single race inside the top 10, a result which he backed up further in 2021 by taking his first two victories in the class following a switch to Yamaha. A further five podiums helped him seal third in the standings and a move across to the Moto2™ World Championship in 2022 with the brand-new Yamaha VR46 Master Camp Team.
Manugasss was quick to make a name for himself in the MotoGP circles. He surprised fans and media with his talent to quickly adapt to the Moto2 bike as well as for him new circuits. He featured inside the top 10 numerous times in various sessions. His best result were fifth places at the Portuguese GP, Australian GP, and Malaysian GP which earned him appropriate accolades, making him a rider to watch in 2023.
| Date of birth
04 / 08 / 2002
| Nationality
Spain
| Rider Number
18
| Nickname
Manugasss
| Grand Prix debut
KOHTA NOZANE
@kohta_noz3
| Date of birth
| Nationality
Japanese
| Rider Number
5
| Nickname
Nozane
| Grand Prix debut
2012 – Moto2 Grand Prix of Japan
BIOGRAPHY
Kohta Nozane became Yamaha’s first Japanese rider in the FIM Superbike World Championship since Noriyuki Haga when he joined the GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team for the 2021 season.
After being crowned the All Japan Championship J-GP2 champion in 2013, Nozane stepped up to the JSB1000 class the following season. He made strong progress each year, finishing eighth in his maiden campaign, before going seventh (2015), fifth (2016 & 2017), fourth (2018) and third in 2019. In his final JSB1000 season in 2020, Nozane was untouchable, winning all but one race on his way to the title.
Alongside his national experience, the 25-year-old has also contested the FIM Endurance World Championship with the Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team and boasts a MotoGP outing with Yamaha in the 2017 Japanese Grand Prix at Twin Ring Motegi.
In his maiden WorldSBK campaign in 2021, Nozane had to adapt to new circuits, new tyres, and a new bike, but he showed promise, ending the season with his best finish – seventh – in Indonesia.
Nozane second campaign with the GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team didn’t earn him the results he had hoped for, but it did provide him extra experience on European and International tracks that will come in handy for his new adventure. In 2023 he will join Manuel Gonzalez in the Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46 Team. Having already taken part in Moto2 races as a wildcard in the 2012 Japanese GP, and the 2013 Australian GP, Japanese GP, and Valencia GP, the 27-year-old is keen to hit the ground running in his first full year in the intermediate class.
FROM INSTAGRAM
CONTACTS
Do you have any questions, comments, or feedback? Feel free to reach out to us.
MARIA COLLECCHIA
maria@juniorteamvr46.it
