ITALIAN ENDURO STAR GEARS UP FOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON OPENER IN PORTUGAL, RIDING THE GASGAS EC 450F
GASGAS Factory Racing’s Andrea Verona is set for an exciting 2025 EnduroGP season, stepping up to race the EC 450F, as the seven-time world champion looks to defend his Enduro2 title and challenge for the overall EnduroGP crown. After a dominant 2024 campaign, Andrea is ready to take on the seven-round 2025 championship, which kicks off in Portugal this weekend.
- Andrea Verona eager to kick off 2025 EnduroGP season
- Italian to race the GASGAS EC 450F in E2 and EnduroGP classes
- Championship kicks off in Portugal this weekend, April 4-6
After a busy winter of preseason testing, Verona has decided to move up to the powerful EC 450F ahead of the seven-stop 2025 EnduroGP series. The Italian will remain in Enduro2 to defend his title, while also fighting for the overall EnduroGP championship, which he last won in 2022.
Andrea dominated the 2024 FIM Enduro2 World Championship. His campaign included 13 victories, with six double wins, and a standout, championship-clinching performance in Wales, where he sealed the title with a round to spare. Topping the timesheets on every race day except one, the Italian comfortably claimed his seventh world championship title.
The 2025 FIM EnduroGP World Championship promises another thrilling season, kicking off in Portugal this weekend before heading to Spain in early May. Sweden hosts round three later that month, followed by Wales in August and France in September. The passionate tifosi will then cheer on Andrea Verona on home soil at the GP of Italy in Darfo Boario Terme, notoriously a fan-favorite event. The championship concludes in October with the GP of Germany in Zschopau, where Andrea was last crowned EnduroGP champion in 2022.
Andrea Verona: “I’m really excited to start the season with the new bike – the big 450 – and to go full gas into it! Preseason testing has been really good and is always important, especially this year as I’ve made the jump to a bigger bike, which I’ve spent a lot of time getting used to. We’ve dialed in the suspension, among other things, to adapt the bike to my riding style and I feel really good on it now. I’ve focused a lot on the technical side of riding over the winter, because on the big bike it’s not as easy, so hopefully that will pay off. My 2024 season in EnduroGP was great! I was in the fight for the overall title for most of the year, and in the UK, I was able to wrap up the Enduro2 title early which was amazing. This year, I’m confident that I’ve got the speed to stay at the top the whole year and my goal as always is to tick off both championship wins. It’s going to be a tough fight, with a lot of fast guys who have all looked really strong already at the first two rounds of the Italian Championship. As a team we’re feeling great, the atmosphere is positive and we work really well together, especially me and my mechanic. I can’t wait for the GP of Italy again in September as last year was super special, and this year it will be even bigger as the ISDE is in Bergamo just a few weeks before. It’s really motivating as both events are near the middle to end of the season so it’ll be great to have the Italian fans behind me at such an important point – they are really passionate! I’m looking forward to getting underway in Portugal this weekend!”
Fabio Farioli – GASGAS Factory Racing Enduro Team Manager: “Preseason training with Andrea has been really good – it was mainly dedicated to setting up the new 450. It is a bit unusual for a rider to use such a high-capacity bike in EnduroGP, but we think that it’s the right weapon for Andrea to claim the title this year. His style suits the bike really well and it’s going to be a great season. Our goal is of course to win Enduro2 again, but the EnduroGP class is always what we are fighting for above all. We’re still dialing in the bike, making final tweaks to the engine and suspension ahead of round one. Portugal is going to be great and we can’t wait to get started!”
