An exciting new adventure seems to await FIM Supersport World Champion Manuel González in 2020, as evidenced by the two-day winter test this week at MotorLand Aragon. Although there has been no official confirmation from the team, the teenager featured at the test with the Kawasaki ParkinGO Team on a ZX-6R machine, all but confirming his step up to the World Supersport class.

González joined the nine WorldSBK riders and former rival Ana Carrasco (Kawasaki Provec WorldSSP300) at the Spanish track on Wednesday for a first shakedown of the Kawasaki bike. The 17-year-old only completed a few laps once the tarmac dried out in the afternoon, opting to remain off the bike altogether on Thursday.

Nonetheless, the experience already proved to be a fruitful one for the WorldSSP300 Champion: “It was really good. I didn’t do so many laps because the track was not perfect – there was also a lot of wind – but to test the bike and see how it works was really good. Lap by lap I was improving, discovering the difference with the WorldSSP300 bike, mostly in terms of braking and acceleration”.

What was the toughest challenge González faced, compared to his previous bike? “The power is the biggest difference. You’re always on the gas, drifting, pushing out of the corner. It’s much more enjoyable!”

“You also arrive to corners at a higher speed, so you have to go on the brakes much harder, particularly the first touch, because if not you go long and lose your line. It’s very important with this bike”.

After this first shakedown, González is already looking forward to his next go at the WorldSSP machine: “This test was only to see the bike, do some laps and improve, not looking at setting or anything”.

Relive the best moments from Manuel González’s record-breaking 2019 season with WorldSBK VideoPass!