Stefano Manzi is aiming for a podium appearance in the opening round of his World Superbike career next season.

After wrapping up the 2025 World Supersport Championship, Stefano Manzi will move to the World Superbike Championship as the reigning Supersport Champion.

The Italian will enter the World Superbike Championship with the GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team on the Yamaha R1. Manzi has already been able to test the R1 earlier this season and was able to quickly adapt to the Superbike.

Thinking ahead to his rookie season as a Superbike rider, Manzi has set himself a high target of featuring on the podium at the opening round at Phillip Island.

"Right now, I want to finish the weekend as best as possible. It's my last with Ten Kate, and the team has been more like a family to me," said Manzi.

"I start testing on Tuesday, and of course, I'm already thinking about that. My goal is to finish on the podium in the first race in Australia. I've already tested the R1, and it felt very good. I don't think I need to change much.

"The R9 was ideal for making the transition to the R1. If I had come directly from the R6, it would have been more difficult, but as it is, my riding style suits me well."

With two of Superbike's biggest stars leaving the paddock at the end of the 2025 season, Manzi wants to establish himself as one of the new World Superbike stars in 2026.

"My goal is to be as competitive in the Superbike World Championship as I am in the Supersport World Championship," he stated.

"It won't be easy, but that's exactly why I'm here. If I could only finish tenth and knew I'd never win, I'd rather retire. I want to be among the top riders."

Jerez Test:

Stefano Manzi made his official debut as a World Superbike rider with the GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team at the Jerez Test on the 21st of October. The Italian participated in one day of the two-day test and completed 95 laps around the Circuito do Jerez.

The 2025 World Supersport Champion ended the test as the seventh fastest rider on the combined times across the two days, and completed the sixth most amount of laps across the 17 riders who participated.

After one day of testing, Manzi was satisfied with his work, but admitted that he still had a lot to learn ahead of his debut season in the World Superbike Championship.