Ten Kate Racing and Yamaha Motor Europe are pleased to announce that Stefano Manzi will remain with the Ten Kate Racing Yamaha WorldSSP Supported Team in the FIM Supersport World Championship after agreeing to a new contract for 2024 with the Italian.

After riding in the FIM Moto3 & Moto2 World Championships for seven years, Manzi made his full-time WorldSSP debut in 2022. The rider from Rimini immediately made an impression in the class by securing his maiden victory at Portimão and a further three podiums on his way to sixth overall at the end of an impressive rookie season.

His performances caught the eye of Yamaha and the highly experienced Ten Kate Racing Team, who signed him up for the 2023 season. It is on the Yamaha R6 where the 24-year-old’s ability has genuinely shone. During a superb debut season with the team, Manzi claimed four race wins, a further 13 podiums, one pole position, and five fastest race laps on his way to securing second in the championship after an enthralling title fight.

Manzi’s tenacity and talent has been rewarding with a Yamaha Motor Europe contract for the 2024 season, during which the Italian will spearhead the manufacturer’s challenge for the WorldSSP title aboard the Ten Kate Racing Team Yamaha R6.

Stefano Manzi: “I’m happy and proud to become an official Yamaha rider. It’s not something I take for granted, and it feels really good to extend the partnership. We will need to work very hard to achieve the results that we have set as our goals in 2024, as they are ambitious, but I’m confident that if we continue to work positively, as we did this year, we will hit our target. I want to thank Yamaha Motor Europe and Ten Kate Racing for their faith in me and the renewal of our partnership.”

Kervin Bos – Ten Kate Racing Team Manager: “We are extremely proud to be able to compete in the World Supersport class with Stefano Manzi for another year. Going into a second year together makes it a lot easier for both of us: we now know each other well and the bike will no longer be new to Stefano. We know his potential is very high and we are looking forward to fight for the top positions with him next year. We would like to thank Yamaha Motor Europe for helping to make this deal possible. We are very proud of our partners and sponsors who help us make this happen.”

Andrea Dosoli – Road Racing Manager, Yamaha Motor Europe: “It is a pleasure to extend the collaboration with Stefano; he is a fantastic guy. It’s a path that we started at the beginning of 2023, and he immediately proved capable of exceptional results, as we saw this season. With an extension for another year, we aim to capitalise on the experience gained and repeat the attack at the top of the WorldSSP Championship. After what Stefano has shown this year, we are happy to offer him a direct contract with Yamaha Motor Europe as our leading light in WorldSSP under the experienced and professional Ten Kate Racing structure. From our side, he can rest assured that we will do everything to put him in a position to fight for the title in 2024. We thank him for the confidence he has placed in us.”