Manzi qualifies fourth for first Supersport race at Jerez with Van-Straalen 23rd

Stefano Manzi qualified fourth in the World Supersport class at the Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto on Friday afternoon. The Italian thus leads the second row of the starting grid for the crucial first race at the Spanish circuit. Glenn van Straalen had a difficult day, finishing 23^rd in qualifying.

After the changeable weather conditions in Portugal, sunny Spanish conditions were welcomed with open arms. Under a brightly shining sun and a pleasant ambient temperature, free practice kicked off the final race weekend of the year on Friday morning in which Stefano Manzi set the third fastest time, while Glenn van Straalen finished 24^th due to many cancelled lap times.

In the afternoon, it was already time for the Superpole session in which the level was immediately very high. With a 1’42.385, Manzi qualified fourth for this weekend’s first World Supersport race in which he was just 0.021 seconds short of the front row of the grid, and just 0.051 seconds off second place. With a very high and consistent race pace, the Italian showed that he can compete for the top positions again this weekend.

Van Straalen crashed in Turn 1 after ten minutes into the session, after which he had to bring his machine back to the pit box. It turned into a difficult session where a number of lap times were cancelled again, eventually the Dutchman qualified 23^rd with a 1’43.618 as his fastest lap time. Therefore it will be quite a challenge for Van Straalen in Race 1 but he has shown many times this season that with a good race pace he can still get towards the front.

Stefano Manzi – P4:“It was quite a difficult day. In the morning we were quite strong with the hard tyre, but when we fitted the soft tyre in the afternoon we struggled a bit more than we expected. In the end I qualified in fourth place which means I’m not on the first row, but we are not too far away from the fastest. We need to work a bit ahead of tomorrow and then we’ll see what we can do in the first race.”

Glenn van Straalen – P23:“It was a difficult first day for us here in Jerez. The crash in the Superpole session was a costly mistake and, despite a reasonable lap time, we are still far back on the grid. We are going to work hard to prepare tomorrow’s race as best we can, so we can score some points and achieve a better starting position for Race 2.”

Kervin Bos – Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing team manager: “The first day in Jerez is done. Stefano got off to a very strong start in free practice after which we had a slightly harder time in qualifying. Stefano’s race pace is very good but unfortunately we just couldn’t squeeze out that one fast lap. Anyway, a second row on the grid is a good starting position and I expect a lot from him in the first race tomorrow.

On Glenn’s side, it was unfortunately a disappointing day but the team is working hard to turn the tide. We have managed to bounce back many times this year and I am confident we can do the same this time.”

Manzi wins Race One with Van-Straalen climbing to P11

Stefano Manzi won the first World Supersport race at the Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto in convincing fashion on Saturday afternoon. The Italian took over the lead early in the race before building a comfortable lead and eventually taking his fourth win of the season. Glenn van Straalen had to come from outside the top 20 but came forward strongly and finished 11^th.

After a difficult qualifying session at the Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto, both Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing riders were combative for the first World Supersport race of the weekend. Stefano Manzi started well from fourth on the grid where he had already moved up to second position on the opening lap. On the second lap, he pushed on and grabbed the lead which he would not relinquish thereafter until the end of the race.

Manzi thus took his second win in a row in less than a week, his fourth of the season and his eighth as a rider of Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing. Title rival Adrián Huertas finished on the podium taking the world title but with this victory Manzi is one step closer to second place in the championship with 16 points ahead of his direct rival. In Race 2, the Italian will start from third place.

Starting from 23^rd on the grid, it was going to be a tough race for Glenn van Straalen but the Dutchman rode a very strong opening phase. After four laps he was already in the points’ positions before eventually moving up to 11^th place, scoring five world championship points. Because of this catch-up race, Van Straalen was unable to set a very fast lap time, forcing him to start from 23^rd again in Race 2 on Sunday.

Stefano Manzi – P1:“It was an amazing race, one I dreamt of. It’s great when you start in a group but lap by lap you escape. The team improved the bike a lot from yesterday and the pace was very good. This morning I already felt very strong and then in the race I was immediately there from the start. I’m very happy with this race. Tomorrow we will start from third place which is a bit better of course. The best thing I could do for the championship was win, so let’s see if we can secure that second place in the championship tomorrow. Of course I’m a bit disappointed that it’s another second place like last year, but we showed in the last part of the season that we were very strong. We have done our very best everything we went out on track so I can be proud of the team and myself. Congratulations to Adrián for winning the title, he has had a fantastic season.”

Glenn van Straalen – P11:“We rode a strong race, the pace was good. I just couldn’t close the gap with the group ahead of me but considering our starting position this is a good result. In terms of fastest lap time we were just a bit short of the top nine, which means we will have to start from 23^rdagain tomorrow, which is a real disappointment. But the way it went today gives confidence for tomorrow’s race.”

Kervin Bos – Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing team manager: “It was a great day for the team with a resounding victory for Stefano. To keep the championship alive he had to win and Huertas would have to finish outside the top ten. We knew beforehand that it would be very difficult but Stefano did what he had to do. I think this is his best win so far and we are immensely proud of that. His pace was rock solid, his tyre management was good and he rode the race very maturely.

On the other side of the pitbox I am also proud because Glenn did have a nasty crash in qualifying yesterday. He had the quite some physical discomfort but showed again today that he is a fighter and does not give up, fighting his way back to 11^thposition. Unfortunately, his lap time was just not fast enough for a place among the first nine so he will have to start from 23^rdagain tomorrow. But regardless, I expect another very strong race from him tomorrow to end the season in a good way.”

Manzi gives the outgoing R6 another victory with third consecutive win

Stefano Manzi has also won the second World Supersport race on Sunday afternoon at the Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto. The Italian was once again supreme and took his third victory in a row, ending the season in the perfect way and giving the Yamaha YZF-R6 an honourable farewell. Glenn van Straalen once again came up strong and finished 12th.

After Stefano Manzi’s convincing victory on Saturday afternoon, the last World Supersport of 2024 was held on Sunday afternoon at the Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto. Starting from the first row of the grid, Manzi got away well and soon moved up to second position. At the end of the first lap, the Italian was leading and did not relinquish until the finish.

This gave Manzi his third victory in a row and his fifth of the season. With a total of 415 points, the Italian finished second in the championship and, with nineteen podium finishes from 24 races, he has been on the podium most often of all World Supersport riders this season. With his convincing victory in the final race of 2024, Manzi also ended the highly successful era of the Yamaha YZF-R6, the machine that Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing has enjoyed many successes with since the team’s return to the WorldSSP championship in 2021.

Starting from 23^rd on the grid, it was going to be another tough challenge for Glenn van Straalen but the Dutchman bit into the competition and steadily moved forward. He eventually crossed the finish line in 12th place, adding four points to his final total of 165. With that, Van Straalen finished eighth in the 2024 World Supersport championship.

Stefano Manzi – P1: “It was a very tight race! In the beginning, starting from the front row, it wasn’t too difficult to stay in front, especially after Öncü crashed. After that my rhythm was quite okay, I could ride in the 1’42s. Then I started to struggle a bit and the riders behind me were coming closer and closer. In every corner I felt that someone was close behind me but in the end I was able to win. It’s a fantastic way to end this season and to finish the final race of the R6.”

Glenn van Straalen – P12: “From 23^rd on the grid, we can be reasonably happy with 12^th position in the race. When you have to come from that far it’s always difficult. The main goal this weekend was to secure eighth place in the championship and we succeeded. I think we rode a good race and ended the season in a nice way.”

Kervin Bos – Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing team manager: “It was a great race with another win for Stefano. It’s a fantastic way to end this season and also the era of the Yamaha YZF-R6. As can be seen in the video on our social media channels, we have had great results over the past couple of seasons. Glenn also battled tremendously again today and we are very proud of how resilient he proved to be in the two races this weekend. It has been a long season for everyone and after tonight’s official award ceremony, we will start preparing for the new season. Many details are yet to be revealed and we will announce them in due course.”