Giovanni Cuzari, the boss of Forward Racing, couldn't hold back tears as Alex Escrig delivered the team its first Moto2 podium in a decade. Finishing third at Silverstone wasn't just a sweet result—it was history: Forward's first rostrum with its own chassis, after previously relying on Suter and Kalex frames.
Forward's journey in Moto2 has been full of twists. After a four-year spell as an MV Agusta-branded entry, the Italian outfit went independent in 2023. The results were initially painful—just four points in that first season, ten in 2024, and 28 last year. But the Silverstone podium changed everything; this season they've already amassed 50 points, surpassing the total from the previous three years combined.
“I couldn't stop crying,” Cuzari told GPOne.com. “I know that one swallow doesn't make a summer, but sometimes there is a ray of sunshine, like the podium at Silverstone.” He added, “Alex gave me a hug for 20 seconds and in that time, without speaking, we talked about these four years.”
The podium felt like a David versus Goliath story. Out of 28 bikes on the grid, 22 are Kalex and two Boscoscuro, while Forward only fields two machines. “That's why these results are epic, because they're almost impossible. With only two bikes, how can you think of going into battle?” Cuzari stressed.
However, the joy was tinged with sadness. Alex Escrig, part of the Forward project since 2023, will leave at the end of the season, with Italtrans his rumoured destination. “I am very saddened by his wish because, in my opinion, we could have written a beautiful page of history next season,” said Cuzari, whose team also competed in MotoGP from 2012-2015.
Beyond rider changes, Moto2 will also face a major overhaul in 2027 with the revised Triumph engine requiring new frames from the chassis suppliers. Cuzari, Moto2's self-described “black sheep”, predicts the class will eventually follow Moto3 into a single-supplier format. “I'm pretty sure that in a few years we manufacturers will disappear from Moto2 because there will be a single supplier, like will happen in Moto3,” he said.
Cuzari added, “I think we have three to five years to try and have fun again, after which it will become a single herd, and I've been a black sheep all my life. Imagine if I'll become part of a herd (laughs)!” He also proposed a more balanced distribution of grid slots among chassis manufacturers to speed up development. “I'm not saying we should divide the field equally, but it would all be more logical if we could also have more bikes on the track. We could have more data and speed up development.”
Baca Juga
Ivan Ortola enggan bicara peluang gelar Moto2 meski finis kedua di Silverstone dan naik ke posisi 4 klasemen. Ia fokus menikmati balapan.
Manuel Gonzalez mengaku bingung saat merayakan kemenangan di Moto2 Silverstone, padahal balapan belum usai. Akibatnya, ia finis P14 setelah kehilangan posisi di lap terakhir.
Manuel Gonzalez mengaku keliru membaca lap di Silverstone, membuatnya kehilangan kemenangan Moto2. Hasil P14 tak mengubah posisinya di puncak klasemen.
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