English
Italiano
On Friday evening, Yamaha unveiled the R9 bike. The latest evolution brought to the track by Yamaha represents a clean break with the past, and their goal is to win in the SuperSport. There's great anticipation, and the first sensations are positive, as confirmed by Stefano Manzi.
"The company has put a lot of effort into this project, and I'm happy to continue with Ten Kate in 2025," he began. "Three years ago, I was at home without a bike, but today I'm here developing a bike. I'd say that I'm very happy with this course in the World Superbike and Yamaha, because they've put great trust in me."
What can you tell us about this R9? How big is the difference compared to the R6?
"I tested a version in between the standard and the race version seen today. I have to say that the R9 is an impressive bike and, at the same time, incomparable to the R6. In the end, they're still two Yamahas, but quite different, since the philosophy with which it was designed is different. The R9 edges much better, and the back of the engine is impressive, especially considering that it's not even the final version. The expectation is great, and we'll see what our level is going to be next year."
What memory do you have of the R6?
"When I was in the Moto2, everyone was training with the R6, and we were really confident, because that bike was good in any situation. On a frame and engine level, there's major improvement, but that doesn't mean that the R6 isn't a competitive bike. The only thing is that, with the renewal of the category, the bar has been raised, but the R6 remains the reference among the 600s. We'll be doing a first test in November, and I'm curious."
