Crowned 2024 FIM Enduro2 World Champion at round six in Wales, GASGAS Factory Racing’s Andrea Verona has been a force to be reckoned with in this year’s Paulo Duarte FIM EnduroGP World Championship. Claiming 11 wins from 12 days raced in Enduro2, the Italian dominated the category from the get-go and ultimately added a seventh world title to his collection at just 25 years old.

In EnduroGP, Verona has topped the timesheets three times so far this year, with a further six podium finishes, and no doubt has his sights set on finishing his season on a high in France. The 2024 championship has seen some of the closest and most exciting racing in recent years, with the stakes higher than ever in EnduroGP.

As the final round of the 2024 series kicks off this evening in Brioude, a catch up with Andrea was long overdue…

EnduroGP: With the dust settled on the GP of Wales and a six-week break between races, did you finally get time to take stock of winning the Enduro2 world title?
Andrea Verona: “We reached our first goal of the season, to win the Enduro2 world title, in Wales, so that was amazing. It’s great to have that in the bag going into the final round, and it’s a weight lifted off my shoulders. Especially after last year, when we didn’t win a world championship, it’s good to have ticked off Enduro2 already.”

In Wales, you were fighting for the EnduroGP title, but also trying to win Enduro2. Is it difficult to find a balance between speed and aggression?
“Our main goal will always be to win the EnduroGP title, so it’s full gas every day. Enduro2 is important, for sure, but it’s not the main goal. I can’t afford to relax at all to just focus on Enduro2, because then I will be out of the running for the EnduroGP title. I’m fully focused on EnduroGP at every round, and Enduro2 just comes along with it.”

You have had an incredible run in Enduro2 with 11 out of 12 wins, 10 of those in a row!
“I’m happy, of course, but I would have liked to have won all of them! The second day at round one is what we would call in Italy a ‘mosquito in the eye’- it’s frustrating but it feels good to have won 10 in a row since then. Nathan Watson has been really fast this year, and that day especially. Like I said before, though, my focus has never solely been on Enduro2, the wins have just come alongside me challenging for EnduroGP.”

Now a seven-time world champion, does it take you by surprise how quickly you are filling up the trophy cabinet?
“I never expected this, for sure! My first full season in EnduroGP was in 2017, and if someone had come up to me then and told me that in seven years’ time I would have seven world titles, I would have thought they were joking. I’m always pushing for more, though. I work super hard and I’m always setting goals which get more ambitious every year. I want to be the fastest guy, like everyone else does!”

It’s your second year on the 350. Has that been a big contributor to your 2024 performance, having more experience on this bike?
“Definitely. When we started last year, it wasn’t easy as I was getting used to the bigger capacity and the new generation model. We were still testing, really, during the season. For the last part of the season, I felt a lot more confident on the bike and I was faster at the 6DAYS® and the last couple of EnduroGP rounds. This year, we had a better foundation to start on and this will be even stronger in 2025. GASGAS are always improving the bike and we have the same goals – to win.”

Your victory in Italy on day two in the rain must have been really special? Your riding there, especially your corner speed in the rain, was sensational.
“That day was a special one, for sure. I was fast from the beginning of the day and by the last two tests, I was 20 seconds in front of Steve [Holcombe]. However, I crashed at the start of the last enduro test and I was covered in mud, so I really struggled and I lost all of the gap I had built up and Steve was then two seconds in front. I was confident that I could do it on the very last test, though, so I was fast and managed to claim back the win by just 0.5 seconds in the end! That day in Italy was probably one of the best wins of my life, there was so much emotion!”

You, Josep, Steve and Brad have produced some exceptional racing in 2024. Is it fun to race like that?
“For sure, I prefer when the racing is really tight. It feels so much better when you’re winning, because you know that the level of competition is so high. This year has been one of the closest in a while, sometimes with just a few seconds separating the top three. To be seconds apart after over an hour of special test racing is crazy, and it’s been that way at nearly every round.”

Josep has a 17-point advantage, so you’ve got to win on Saturday to keep that EnduroGP title hope alive, right?
“With the Enduro2 title wrapped up, I’m completely focused on getting the best possible result in EnduroGP. I will give my all, definitely, because anything can happen!”

What are your thoughts on the 2025 calendar?
“It looks great! There are some really good locations which will make for exciting GPs. This year, every race has been at a really high level and I think the sport is heading in the right direction. However, to really grow I think we could do with more media exposure and this is where the biggest jump is needed to put us on the same level as other types of motorsport. It’s getting closer and closer every year, with lots of riders, including myself, starting YouTube channels and making the most of social media. It’s really exciting!”

Will we see any changes for 2025?
“The plan is to stay in Enduro2, for the moment, because we have spent so much time developing this bike and we want at least another year to see its full potential. I’ve still got more to give in this class and on this bike. So I’ll stay on the 350 and fight for another Enduro2 world championship, and of course the EnduroGP title.”

The final round of the 2024 Paulo Duarte FIM EnduroGP World Championship kicks off this evening in Brioude, France, with the AKRAPOVIC Super Test.