Stefano Manzi closes gap with Race 1 victory as Bulega holds strong in the standings.
Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) claimed victory in WorldSSP Race 1 at Imola, securing his second win of the season. The result allowed him to close the gap to championship leader Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) to 46 points. Marcel Schrötter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) finished in second place, marking his fifth podium of the season. Bulega crossed the line in third, earning his 20th podium in the series and bringing Ducati their 50th rostrum.
In an intense battle for fourth place, Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) and Adrian Huertas (MTM Kawasaki) engaged in a fierce fight in WorldSSP Race 1 at Imola. Sofuoglu initially overtook Huertas on Lap 8 but faced determined resistance. Niki Tuuli (PTR Triumph) joined the fray, passing both Sofuoglu and Huertas for fourth. However, on the penultimate lap, Tuuli and Huertas crashed together, resulting in an abrupt end to the race. Yari Montella secured fifth place, followed by Raffaele De Rosa in sixth.
WorldSSP Race 1 Results
1. Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha)
2. Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse)
3. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team)
4. Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse)
5. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team)
6. Raffaele De Rosa (Orelac Racing VerdNatura)
WorldSSP Championship standings
1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) 263 points
2. Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) 217 points
3. Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) 176 points
WorldSSP Tissot Superpole Results
1. Federico Caricasulo | Ducati | 1’50.779s
2. Nicolo Bulega | Ducati | +0.119s
3. Stefano Manzi | Yamaha | +0.468s
P1 | Stefano Manzi | Ten Kate Racing Yamaha
“I had a good start from the front row. There was a battle in the first chicane, but I managed to take the lead and maintain it until the end of the race. I’m happy with the result. It was a challenging race with hot conditions, but we handled it well. I’m happy for myself, the team, and Yamaha. Today, I’ve finally created positive memories at Imola. We are doing our best to close the gap to Bulega.”
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