SSP: an uncertain future for Manzi and Montella, but negotiations continue

The 2023 Supersport season looks like it will be hard-fought, particularly considering the departure of this year’s frontrunners, or rather Lorenzo Baldassarri and Dominique Aegerter, both of whom will move to Superbike with Yamaha.

Many will be out to claim the Swiss rider’s throne of course, including the likes of Yari Montella and Stefano Manzi, although the two Italians are still unsure as to where exactly they will be in 2023.

 

A change for Yari, uncertainty for Stefano

---

Montella rounded out the 2022 season on a high, with a fantastic win at Phillip Island that has definitely raised his share price. He may well finalise his plans for 2023 in the next few days in fact, the rider likely to break away from Kawasaki and team Puccetti.

It appears that the Italian team will continue in SSP with only Can Oncu, but there may be a surprise in store, in that the squad might support a new Kawasaki team, or rather Vincenzo Scandizzo’s Vince64 team, which competed in CIV Superbike in collaboration with the Broncos Racing Team in 2022.

The situation is different for Manzi, who is still negotiating with team PTR, with whom he scored four podiums in all and a brilliant win at Portimao this season. If an agreement fails to be reached, he’s ready with a plan B, one that would take him far from Triumph but that has a slightly longer timeframe. We remind you that the 2023 Supersport season will get underway at Phillip Island in about three months’ time, on 26 February.