Race One at Phillip Island was the Yamaha R9's debut in World Supersport, but Stefano Manzi took his new machine straight to the top step.

When Yamaha left the R6 in the past there was debate over whether the new R9 would be able to contend at the front. However, Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing rider, Stefano Manzi has already proven that the bike is a title contender.

The Italian won the opening race of the 2025 World Supersport season in a close battle with Ducati, Triumph and MV Agusta.

"It is great to open the season with a win, and a new era with a new bike with a win," Manzi told WorldSBK.com.

"I do not have many words at the moment, it is an amazing day. Thanks to Yamaha and the team they put a lot of effort into the background of this project.

"I was able to win today, but it was not easy as it was a hard fight. With the pit stop as well it was a very challenging race."

It has not been an easy transition from the R6 to the R9 as earlier this week Manzi was still adapting to his new machine.

"In the winter test in Spain and in the test here [Phillip Island], I was struggling a lot," Manzi explained.

"Also, after yesterday we were not super quick, but in the end we were able to close the gap and this is the result."

In the end, the 25-year-old inherited the win after Jaume Masia got his pit stop wrong. The Spaniard was given a five-second penalty and was demoted behind the Italian.

"It was strange because I saw that [Jaume] Masia was entering behind me in the pits, but when we left there were a lot in front of me," Manzi stated.

"I said to myself 'I did something wrong, or they did something wrong'. The only goal was to catch him [Masia] and to win, and I did it because, in the end, he had a penalty. But it was a hard fight like always in this class, sometimes there is a fight, but I am one of the fighters."