Stefano Manzi hunted down title rival Can Öncü to complete a remarkable double victory at the Circuit de Nevers, Magny-Cours on Sunday, overcoming more than a three-second deficit to increase his championship lead to a nearing-unassailable 69 points.
After being beaten on the last lap on Saturday, Öncü (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Racing) was determined to make amends and bolted off the front row of the grid to stretch a lead in the first few corners. Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) did not look as comfortable as he had the day previous, and dropped into the clutches of the chasing pack in the early stages to sit as low as fourth.
There was heartbreak for home hero Lucas Mahias (GMT-94 Yamaha) as he crashed out of the top three at the hairpin on the opening lap, and Alberto Surra (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Racing) who after taking a podium in his debut race crashed out of contention on lap three after fighting for the lead with his team-mate.
By the time Manzi returned to second position, Öncü was three and a half seconds up the road and looking likely to add to his victory tally, however with four laps to go the series leader began to reduce the lead sector by sector. Still some distance behind going onto the final lap, Manzi had work to do but did it well with a late-last-lap overtake to secure his ninth victory of the season.
Having remounted after his early crash, Mahias finished 13th for GMT-94 Yamaha, one position ahead of team-mate Roberto Garcia who had to complete two long lap penalties during the race. Yuki Okamoto (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate) finished 18th.
Manzi’s victory saw Yamaha’s lead extend to an unassailable 173 points in the manufacturers’ champions, securing a record 11th manufacturers’ crown in the R9’s debut season. The Italian’s series lead now sits at 69 points, meaning a swing of 31-points against Öncü could secure him the title next time out in Aragon.
Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) –
Race 1: 1st, Race 2: 1st, Championship Pos: 1st
“Already from the start, after the hairpin on the first lap Surra overtook me quite hard and I went wide, but I also nearly had a highside so lost a lot of time there too. It took a little bit of time to get back through to second and when I did, I didn’t really gain on Can so I was thinking ‘today maybe second place is OK’, so I just did the best rhythm I could and in the end I was able to catch him and get past, so I am very happy about this victory – it is nice to win races like this!”
Posted on September 7, 2025 by Michael Le Pard
