Yamaha rookie predicts “more challenging” WorldSBK 2026 aspect

After his first test among his fellow 2026 WorldSBK riders, reigning Supersport World Champion Stefano Manzi has identified where he thinks the biggest challenge in adapting to the premier class of production racing will come from.

Manzi was third-fastest in his one and only test day at the post-race World Superbike test in Jerez and completed 95 laps.

Having seemingly adapted well, initially, to the Yamaha R1 he will race next year, Manzi, who has been in WorldSSP full-time since 2022, feels the biggest adaptation to make will not come in the riding itself, but in the race situations, and managing the extra speed and turbulence of the Superbike in close proximity to other riders.

“In the test you ride always alone, so I want to see how it will be to ride in the group because I think with more power, more speed in the straight, more slipstream when you brake and do in the group something it will be more challenging,” Manzi told WorldSBK.com at EICMA. 

“But I want to see when I can do because now in the test you only ride alone.”

Manzi has tested the WorldSBK-spec R1 twice, first in the summer as an evaluation for his potential to move up to Superbike in 2026 and then in the aforementioned post-race test at Jerez in October.

The Italian was pleased with how the Jerez test went, despite mixed conditions, but is looking forward to working more on the bike setup at an upcoming test at the end of November.

“It was a good test,” Manzi said.

“In the end, we were not lucky with the weather in the morning, there was a bit of rain in Jerez, but in the end we could spin 95 laps during the day, so I was quite confident on the bike and I can’t wait for the next test.”

He added: “In the test the focus was only on to spin the laps so we don’t change a lot the bike. 

“But in the end also the lap time was not bad at the end of the day, but it was not the goal.

“The next one, I think we start to work with the team and start to do the setting work and to fix a bit more the bike on my style, so we will see.”