First and second row for Ten Kate Racing at Estoril

Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing had a good first day of the Estoril Round in Portugal. Stefano Manzi qualified third for the first World Supersport race of the weekend while Glenn van Straalen secured fifth place on the grid at the Circuito Estoril.

The first day at the Circuito Estoril was mainly characterised by changeable weather conditions. During free practice in the morning it was still quite wet with Stefano Manzi finishing sixth and Glenn van Straalen ending 25^th after a big crash. Fortunately, the Dutchman was unhurt and would be able to return to action later in the day.

At the start of that Superpole session it was dry but given the dark clouds over the Portuguese circuit, rain could fall at any moment again. The Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing team was very sharp and Stefano Manzi and Glenn van Straalen managed to set good lap times straight away. Not much later it started raining heavily after which the track did not dry for the rest of the session, so the lap times could not be improved anymore.

Manzi rode a fastest time of 1’41.925 and he qualified third for the first World Supersport race at the Circuito Estoril, which will be held Saturday afternoon at 15:15 local time, 16:15 Central European time. Van Straalen clocked a 1’42.454 that will allow him to start from fifth on the grid in Race 1.

Stefano Manzi – P3: “It was a very tricky Friday because the conditions definitely weren’t the best. In the morning I was quite fast in wet conditions and the feeling was good, so I was quite happy with that. In the afternoon we started the Superpole session in dry conditions but after four laps it started raining. Therefore I am quite happy by being on the front row, although I’m not completely satisfied that it’s only a third place. Let’s see what the weather conditions will be like tomorrow, we’ll try our very best to do a good race again.”

Glenn van Straalen – P5: “In free practice in the morning, we were not in a good position as we had missed most of the session due to a crash. The track conditions got better and better during the session which meant the pace went up as well. Qualifying in the afternoon started in dry conditions and the speed was there, then it started raining after about ten minutes. As a result, we weren’t able to do as many laps but we did manage to get a good starting position which I’m very happy with. I think we can have a good race tomorrow.”

Kervin Bos – Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing team manager: “It was a good first day in Estoril for Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing. Both riders qualified very well and that is obviously very important in the World Supersport class. Stefano and Glenn are ready to race in both wet and dry conditions so we have to wait and see what it is going to be.”

Ten Kate Racing win fourth consecutive team’s World Championship

Stefano Manzi finished third in the first World Supersport race at the Circuito Estoril on Saturday. This gave the Italian his sixteenth podium finish of the season. Teammate Glenn van Straalen crossed the finish line ninth after a problem on the penultimate lap, after being on his way to a top five result. Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing thus won the team world championship for the fourth consecutive season.

After the changeable conditions on Friday, the weather conditions on Saturday were once again very unstable. After a lot of rain in the morning it was dry at the start of the first World Supersport race at the Circuito Estoril.

Stefano Manzi started well and was immediately able to keep up with his two rivals in the championship. The Italian managed to hold on for a long time but lost ground in the second half of the race. He eventually crossed the line in third place, resulting in his sixteenth podium finish in 21 races. In Race 2, Manzi will start from fourth place.

Glenn van Straalen also got away well from his fifth place on the grid and managed to keep up with the leading group in the early stages. Then the Dutchman got involved in a fierce battle which caused him to lose the connection. Van Straalen was very combative and was heading for a top five finish until he lost precious time on the penultimate lap, and dropped back to ninth place. In Race 2, the 24-year-old rider will start from 12^th place on the grid.

Stefano Manzi – P3: “It was another good race and another trophy for the collection. However, it’s not enough because I wasn’t able to fight and therefore I lost important points for the championship. From the beginning I struggled a lot and I didn’t feel so comfortable, although I was still there at the front. When the rear tyre dropped I was gone, and I also saw that someone was closing the gap to me so I thought we’d also lose the podium. Fortunately that didn’t happen so in the end it was still a good race where we did our best. We’ll try to improve a bit in tomorrow’s warm up and then maybe we can perform a bit better in the race. I am happy we were able to secure the team’s championship today.”

Glenn van Straalen – P9: “After a good start, I couldn’t keep up with the leading group and then I got into quite a fight. I managed to get out of that and then I was able to ride a good pace. I was on my way to a good result but two laps before the end I lost a few seconds and ended up back in the group. As a result, I lost a few positions and that’s a bummer. We’ll see what we can adjust for tomorrow to improve our race pace a bit more.”

Kervin Bos – Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing team manager: “It was a good day for us with another podium for Stefano and Glenn who was on his way to a top five result, unfortunately he was just unable to maintain that position in the group. They both performed very well but the changeable conditions this weekend broke us down a bit. We gathered a lot of information with this race so I am confident we can give both riders a better package tomorrow, so I expect another great result for both of them. We also clinched the team championship today for the fourth season in a row which is of course a great recognition for everyone in the team.”

Manzi keeps the championship open until the season finale

Stefano Manzi has won the second World Supersport race at the Circuito Estoril on Sunday afternoon. After a good start, the Italian kept the pressure firmly on his rival who eventually succumbed to it. With his third win of the season, Manzi keeps the title race still open until the final round of 2024.

Despite finishing on the podium in Race 1, Manzi was not satisfied with the result and wanted more in Race 2. The Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing technicians had greatly improved the YZF-R6 which enabled the Italian to ride a much better pace on Sunday. After a good start, he was riding in second place after which there was a small gap towards the race leader. Manzi managed to close this thanks to a very impressive pace which caused his rival to make a mistake and crash.

As a result, Manzi took over the lead and did not relinquish it. With a comfortable lead, the Italian crossed the line as the winner taking his third win of the season. It is already his seventh win with the Nieuwleusen-based team and his seventeenth podium finish of 2024. With 365 points, Manzi has now moved up to second place in the championship and with 45 points behind the leader, the championship is still undecided.

Glenn van Straalen had to come from 12^th on the grid but quickly made up several positions in the opening stages. The Dutchman also had a good race pace and eventually managed to cross the finish line in seventh place. With 156 points, Van Straalen is eighth in the championship.

Stefano Manzi – P1: “It was a very good race, especially after a disappointing result yesterday. We made a big step in warm up this morning and I had a very good feeling with the bike, so I knew that there would be an opportunity in the race. After the start I got up to second place immediately but Yari was already in a good rhythm. In the end he made a mistake and I already had a gap of over a second to Adrián, so I managed to take the win. I am very happy to be able to take the championship to the last round. It’s not close but it’s still open so we’ll just try to do the best possible weekend, as always.”

Glenn van Straalen – P7: “It was a good race and I am happy with the result. After a few laps there was a small gap that I couldn’t close anymore. The pace remained the same after that but I felt a lot better than yesterday. That’s nice with the next race already next weekend in Jerez, where we will again give everything for good results.”

Kervin Bos – Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing team manager: “After the adjustments we had made compared to yesterday, we knew we would have a very good chance of a good result today. A lack of track time in dry conditions was a problem for us, so the guys in the team worked until late to improve the set-up for today for both riders. They both made great strides in the warm-up and eventually managed to turn that into a very good race.

Stefano took a resounding win after he managed to put pressure on Montella with a very strong pace. It was a matter of who would make a mistake first and fortunately Stefano didn’t, so he could take the win. The championship is still open, even if the chances are slim. But it’s not over until it’s really over.

Glenn also rode a rock-solid race, was close to the leading group and improved tremendously compared to yesterday. I think the team did very well across the board and with a good feeling we go to Jerez, where we will welcome a lot of sponsors and guests.”