On Thursday the 14^th of December, Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing presented its plans for 2024. The most successful World Supersport team in the history of the championship held a gathering at its headquarters in Nieuwleusen in front of a large number of interested media and partners of the team. Riders Stefano Manzi and Glenn van Straalen also unveiled the new livery for the 2024 season.

Due to an even closer partnership with Italian snack producer Pata and Japanese motorcycle manufacturer Yamaha, the most successful World Supersport team is now called Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing. The rider line-up for 2024 was previously announced with Italian vice world champion Stefano Manzi and talented Dutchman Glenn van Straalen set to ride the Dutch team’s Yamaha YZF-R6 machines in 2024.

Manzi has already shown what he is capable of in 2023 with 17 podium finishes including four wins. With the continuity of the already successful cooperation between the Italian and Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing, the objective for 2024 will be to bring the world title back to Nieuwleusen.

Van Straalen has proved in recent seasons that he can compete with the strongest riders in the World Supersport championship with several podium finishes. The Dutchman is fulfilling a long-held wish of the team by representing Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing on the world stage.

Stefano Manzi: “First of all I am very happy to be here in December for the team presentation because at this point last year, I was still sitting at home without any plans for the next season. In 2023 we finished second in the World Supersport championship and we can be quite happy with the season that we did, even though we did not win the championship. Next year I will be working with the same team and my target is to continue working like we did this year, working hard but also enjoy the time on track. Because we remain with the same group of people, I think we can be closer from the first test onwards. Together with all of Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing, I will be doing my very best to fight for the world championship.”

Glenn van Straalen: “I am very happy and proud to be competing in the World Supersport championship in 2024 with Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing. We will test for the first time at the end of January and I am curious to see how quickly we can find the right feeling with the machine and with each other. I am confident that I can continue on the right way as I have already shown in recent seasons. With the experience of everyone at Ten Kate, I am convinced that great results can be achieved. It is the most successful team in World Supersport and the leading Dutch team in the World Superbike paddock. I am very grateful to a lot of people that I can be on the grid with this team next year and I can’t wait to start the first tests.”

Kervin Bos – Ten Kate Racing team manager: “It is 14 December 2023 and we are already presenting our team for the 2024 season. That signals our plans for next year. We were able to secure two riders early on and can therefore make our plans known early on as well, which is a big gain in terms of preparation for next season. We have welcomed a large number of new Dutch sponsors, which has allowed us to make this step.

We are extremely proud that we were able to retain Stefano for a second year. With the experience we have gained from going into a second season with the same rider we can reap the benefits. I expect great things from Stefano in 2024 after he was already among the best riders in the World Supersport class last season.

In addition, we were able to make a long-cherished wish come true with the signing of Glenn van Straalen. The combination of a Dutch rider with a Dutch team is something we have wanted for a long time, in the past we had that with Michael van der Mark. We hope to follow the same path with Glenn. We all think Glenn has the same potential as Stefano and we now have to let that come to fruition step by step.

The line-up of the team personnel does not change and I think that is also our strength. Because our GYTR Pro Shop has grown tremendously in the last three years, the ties between Yamaha Motor Europe and Ten Kate are only getting stronger, and we are enormously proud of that. Because of that strengthened relationship we will see Pata as title sponsor on our bikes next season, a company that has also been title sponsor of Ten Kate Racing in the past. We are very proud to be a Yamaha race team but also to be one of Yamaha’s major partners in Europe with our GYTR Pro Shop. We have some great plans for the rounds in Assen and Misano but first of all we are going to enjoy this first get-together with all the partners of the team.”