Stefano Manzi completed 95 laps during his first test as a full-time World Superbike rider for GYTR GRT Yamaha.
Although Stefano Manzi had tested the Yamaha R1 before, the 2025 World Supersport Champion had his first day as a full-time World Superbike rider on Day One of the Jerez Test.
The Italian rider will compete for the GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team in 2026, and had his first day in the team's garage at Jerez.
During the first Winter Test ahead of the 2026 season, Manzi was third on the timesheets and the second-fastest Yamaha rider; he also completed the most laps, covering 95 laps in one day.
"It was super, I enjoyed it a lot," Manzi told WorldSBK.com after his first official day as a World Superbike rider.
"I tried to spin as many laps as possible, but we were unlucky in the morning, as there were some drops of rain. But in the end, we had sun in the afternoon.
"I spun 95 laps, so I am quite happy. In the end, my performance on the bike was not bad, but I still need to learn and improve my riding style."
"My Testing Programme was to spin as many laps as possible and not touch the bike," he explained.
"So, we have a lot of work to do, but we will do it at the next test, in November, when we come back here on the 26th and 27th. At the moment, I have not touched anything; I have just moved the front brake lever down a bit.
"So, we still have a lot of work to do."
Road Racing Sporting Manager within Yamaha Motor Europe, Niccolo Canepa, added, "Stefano also did a really fantastic job today; he tested on the bike for one day this season, but it’s not easy to step up in WorldSBK.
"It’s very challenging, but his lap time was very good; he stepped up very quickly. He’s a World Champion, so we knew he’d be fast next year, but it’s important to start out on the right foot."
