Manzi joins Bulega in SBK, the ascent continues: 'I also dream of MotoGP'

Manzi is coming off a highly successful year in Supersport and is full of energy for his new Superbike adventure: he’s dreaming big for the future.

Like Nicolò Bulega, Stefano Manzi also restarted from the WorldSBK paddock in 2022 after years in the MotoGP paddock without meeting his targets. The decision to move to Supersport proved to be the right one for the rider from Rimini as well, who in 2025 was crowned world champion with the Ten Kate Racing Yamaha R9. A well-deserved title that earned him a well-deserved promotion to Superbike: he signed a two-year contract with Yamaha Motor Europe and in 2026 he will race with the GYTR GRT team. The first tests with the R1 were encouraging.

As the 2025 SSP world champion, Manzi attended the recent FIM Awards event and also spoke to Giuseppe Ferrara for Corsedimoto.com: "It’s a journey that started a few years ago," he said about how he has matured in recent seasons, "and this year came the consecration. I’m happy to have finished the season in first place and to have finally become world champion."

The Romagna-born rider wouldn’t mind following a path similar to Bulega’s, who, moving from Supersport to Superbike, has proven to be a top rider: "It’s a very positive example," he commented, "and it stands out because we’ve had very similar careers. We both came from Moto2, where we didn’t achieve results, and we moved to Supersport, where we succeeded and became world champions. He’s been in Superbike for two years; I’ll get there next year. The comparison comes naturally, and I see it as a positive thing, because he’s a very fast rider and you always look at those who are fast."

Asked about his goals for his first season in Superbike, Manzi responded: "I’m not someone who sets goals in terms of results; I focus on working well. If I can do that, like in Supersport, the results will come. In Superbike everything is tougher, but I’m happy about that because it’s also growth on a professional level."

The new GYTR GRT Yamaha rider doesn’t hide his dream of racing in MotoGP: "In the early 2000s there was a pathway from Superbike to MotoGP, then it was closed off and now it seems to have opened up again. I hope so, because my dream remains to ride a MotoGP bike. I hope this pathway can become a real option for more riders." Toprak Razgatlioglu will be in the top class in 2026 and could be joined by Bulega in 2027. Manzi also hopes to get there and knows it will all depend on the results he achieves in SBK.