SSP: Manzi ready to change paddock, Yamaha and VR46 hard at work

December is generally a busy month for the market, and this year is no exception. Less than thirty days from the end of the year, there are still riders seeking a spot for 2022, despite the lines-up having already been confirmed in several championships.

To find a rider still seeking a solution, we need only look at the podium from last weekend’s 100km of Champions at Valentino Rossi’s Ranch, or rather the second place finishers. While Elia Bartolini is ready to debut in Moto3, the future of his team-mate Stefano Manzi, a member of the VR46 Riders Academy, is still uncertain.

A difficult 2021

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The Italian has just completed his fifth Moto2 season, his second as a rider for team Pons, but it was not a standout year for him. Aside from a sixth-place finish at Misano 2, Stefano only reached the top ten on two other occasions, rounding out the year in nineteenth place overall. Results that were not enough to secure him a contract renewal, and so he remains on the market.

It looks as if there’s no spot for Manzi in the intermediate class, but new lifeblood may come in the shape of the intermediate class in the Superbike paddock. In recent months, Supersport has become a valid option for Stefano, particularly after he competed in GMT94 team colours at the Jerez round, scoring a ninth place finish in what was the weekend’s only race (owing to Dean Berta Vinales’ death).

Yamaha teams at the door

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Since then, there has been significant contact between the VR46 Riders Academy and Yamaha, the intention being to bring Stefano to Supersport and give him an R6. Other options include a possible ride with top team Ten Kate, in place of departing Galang Hendra Pratama who moves to SSP300, or with the aforementioned GMT94, which seeks a rider to flank Jules Cluzel.

The ideal grid of interesting and available teams also features VFT and MotoXRacing, which reached the podium with Federico Caricasulo earlier this year. Yamaha hopes to confirm its line-ups before the end of the year, so the coming weeks will be crucial for Manzi, who could bring his talent to an Italian squad already set to aim high.

Translated by Heather Watson

100Km of Champions: victory for Rossi and Marini