Manzi secures another front row start at Autodrom Most, Van Straalen qualifies in fourteenth place

Stefano Manzi qualified in third place on Friday afternoon for the first World Supersport race of the weekend at the Autodrom Most. The Italian once again started the race weekend in the Czech Republic very strongly and is on the front row of the grid for the fifth time in six races. Glenn van Straalen had a more difficult qualifying session and finished 14^th.

This weekend the sixth round of the FIM Supersport World Championship is beingheld at the Autodrom Most in the Czech Republic. The weekend started with sunny and warm conditions and Saturday and Sunday are also expected to see temperatures over 30°C. After Stefano Manzi and Glenn van Straalen finished free practice on Friday morning in third and twelfth respectively, the Superpole session was run in the afternoon.

With a 1’34.509, Stefano Manzi finished in third place on the timesheet and secured a spot on the front row of the grid for the fifth time this year. Due to a change in the regulations, the Yamaha looks set to be a bit more competitive again in the World Supersport class this weekend. Teammate Glenn van Straalen ended the Superpole session with a 1’35.591 which puts him 14^th on the grid.

Stefano Manzi – P3:“It was a good qualifying session, being on the front row is always good. Especially on this track because the first chicane is very tight. I am quite happy about our performance today because we managed to improve a lot on what we did last year. It’s good to be a bit closer to our rivals but we’re not on top yet, so we have to continue working. Now let’s see what we can do in Race 1, as always I will give it my all.”

Glenn van Straalen – P14:“It was a difficult session, this is not the starting position I would have liked to have. We need to find out why qualifying is so difficult for us. We will see if we can find something tonight and tomorrow morning in the warm up so that we can be in a better position in the race tomorrow.’

Kervin Bos – Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing team manager:“It was a strong first day from Stefano, the technical regulations in the World Supersport class seem to be balanced a little better now. He was able to fight for pole position and I am very happy to see him on the front row. His race pace is very strong and I expect him to compete for a top result tomorrow.

On Glenn’s side, things didn’t come together in qualifying. During free practice he was very strong and, as in the past race weekends, his race pace is good. Unfortunately, we start from fourteenth place and that always makes things difficult, especially on this track with the first chicane. Fortunately he usually gets a good start and has a strong first lap in him. We need to get to work to see if we can find something so that he too can get a good result. I am fully confident that he can manage that tomorrow so that he will then have a better starting position for Sunday’s race as well.

Both riders are ready to attack tomorrow and, as always, we are very combative. The Yamaha is definitely competing for a top classification here.”

Manzi takes another podium finish in Race 1, Van Straalen’s solid race ends with P9 after penalty

Stefano Manzi has finished third in the first World Supersport race at the Autodrom Most on Saturday afternoon. The Italian was in the lead several times and eventually achieved his seventh podium finish of the season. Glenn van Straalen crossed the finish line in eighth place but had to surrender one more position afterwards due to exceeding the track limits on the last lap.

As on Friday, the weather conditions on Saturday at Autodrom Most in the Czech Republic were sunny and warm, which made it for challenging conditions in the nineteen-lap race. Stefano Manzi started very well and managed to take over the lead on the second lap. A leading group of four riders soon emerged in which the Italian managed to hold his own very well. In the final lap, Manzi looked like he could secure second position but he was ultimately overtaken, which meant he finished third. It is his seventh podium finish in eleven races this season.

Starting from fourteenth on the grid, Glenn van Straalen managed to make big strides in the opening phase of the race. He soon established himself in the top ten after which he moved further forward during the race. The Dutchman crossed the finish line in eighth place but would later be dropped another position for exceeding the track limits.

Manzi rode the fastest lap in this race, allowing him to start from pole position in Race 2 on Sunday afternoon. Van Straalen rode the fifth-fastest lap time, allowing him start the race from P5 on the grid.

Stefano Manzi – P3:“Of course I’m not very happy with finishing third but in the end it could have been worse as well, because Montella was quite close. It was still a good race and I did the fastest lap, which means I can start from pole position tomorrow. However, we need to make a step forward and make sure we are stronger in Race 2 tomorrow. We already have seven podium finishes this year but only one win: this is what we need to improve.”

Glenn van Straalen – P9:“This was definitely a strong race, I was able to get to the front well and had the confidence to overtake. Also the fifth place on the grid for tomorrow is nice, I think we have a good race pace. Hopefully we can find something more tomorrow to get a bit further to the front then.”

Kervin Bos – Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing team manager:“It was a very good day for the team, I am very happy with the performances of Stefano and Glenn. Stefano finished third, which still feels a bit disappointing because there was more in it. He gave everything but ended up finishing third on the last lap. Anwyway, he was on the podium again and scored good points so it was just another strong race.

Glenn managed to fight his way back to eighth position today and set the fifth fastest lap time which puts him on the second row of the grid tomorrow. After the weekend at Donington Park, I was already talking about the silver lining we are seeing more and more, and this was another case.

With Stefano in pole position tomorrow and Glenn starting from fifth on the grid it was definitely wa good day and we are of course looking forward to tomorrow’s Race 2. There is definitely something more in it for both riders so we will work tonight to make another small step for tomorrow.”

Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing ends Czech race weekend on a high with Manzi second in Race 2 and Van Straalen takes 7th place

Stefano Manzi finished second in the second World Supersport race at the Autodrom Most on Sunday afternoon. The Italian again fought a fierce battle for victory but had to settle for second place at the end of the race. Glenn van Straalen also rode a good race and finished in the top ten for the third consecutive race in seventh place.

After a good Saturday at the Autodrom Most, Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing was looking forward to the second day of racing at the Czech circuit. It was a few more degrees warmer, making conditions once again quite tough for the riders and the bikes.

Stefano Manzi was unable to make the most of his pole position but immediately established himself in the leading group in which he was not afraid to attack. After quite a fight in the opening phase, Manzi had taken second place and had broken away from the group behind. In the end, the Italian crossed the line in second place, scoring his eighth podium finish out of 12 races this season. With 183 points Manzi is third in the championship, his gap to the championship leader is 53 points.

Glenn van Straalen also had to give up two places after the start and then tried to keep in touch with the group ahead of him. This went well for a long time after which he started to lose this connection. In the end, the Dutchman crossed the line in seventh place, finishing among the first nine for the third race in a row. Van Straalen is now eighth in the championship with 83 points.

Stefano Manzi – P2: “I am very happy because we improved a lot compared to yesterday. I wasn’t the fastest Yamaha rider yesterday and we struggled a bit but today was much better. The team worked hard after yesterday’s race and the bike performed well. I think it was a great race to watch so I will definitely watch it back as soon as I get back home. I had to be patient but in the end I had a bit of a gap to third so it was a good race.”

Glenn van Straalen – P7: “I am happy with seventh place. My start was good but then I just couldn’t follow the group in front of me. In the end, it was a good weekend and we were able to make some steps forward again in several areas. I think if we continue this line in Portimão, we can get good results there as well.’

Kervin Bos – Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing team manager: “It was another strong day for Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing with Stefano in second place and Glenn in seventh position. It was great teamwork and we made some strides again. For Stefano it was unfortunately just not enough for victory but he once again fought like a lion, getting everything out of the R6. We remain combative and have finished the two consecutive race weekends in a good way. We are clearly on the upward trend with both riders and I am very proud of them with what they showed today. Hats off to Stefano and Glenn, now we will focus on the next race weekend in Portimão.”