Stefano Manzi won his first Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup race by totally dominating the 17 laps at Misano. Joan Mir’s third place behind Manuel Pagliani prevented Jorge Martín clinching the title but the fellow Spaniard crossed the line fifth and goes into the final two races with a healthy, 44 point, advantage.

It was Manzi’s day, the 15-year-old Italian who has, for two years, been able to lead a Rookies Cup race on any lap but the last, this time lead every lap. So often embroiled in a six or eight man battle for the lead from which he emerged third on six occasions this year and once second, Manzi jumped from P9 on the grid, scythed through the pack and disappeared, opening up as much as a three second lead.

So happy

“It is fantastic,” bubbled Manzi who extracted everything from his KTM RC 250 R. “Finally I won, and at my home race too. I just went for it from the start, I went as fast as I could and didn’t slow up until right at the end. Just on the last lap I eased off, I wasn’t going to make a silly mistake then. It is such a great feeling and I want to thank all of my family and friends who have supported me and it is so great to have them here to enjoy it.”

Left behind was fellow Italian Pagliani, the 18-year-old who had robbed him on the line at Misano twelve months ago. Pagliani was hounded by 17-year-old Mir who had elbowed points leader Martín aside early on, something that did not impress the 16-year-old Cup leader at all.

All about the points

Mir was on a mission to keep his Cup hopes alive and that meant finishing in front of Martín. In the attempt he made a couple of mistakes and that allowed Pagliani to get away into a clear second, at also allowed Fabio di Giannantonio, Brad Ray and Toprak Razgatlioglu to catch up.

Mir had the pace to get clear of them and chase after Pagliani but Martín was immersed in a great four man battle for fourth that went all the way to the line with Razgatlioglu crossing it first.

Italy’s one-two

Pagliani’s second place came at the end of a tense contest with Mir. Pagliani secured it with a new lap record on the final tour. “It was a great race,” recalled Pagliani, “A shame that we had so many riders bumping together on the first laps that Stefano got away but anyway after that it was clear and I could run a good pace. I knew that Mir was behind and though it wasn’t possible to catch Stefano I wanted to make sure that Joan could not get me on the last lap. I am happy to get second and the lap record, especially as the bike setting was not perfect, the rear was too soft and it wasn’t easy.”

The wet practice and qualifying had left everyone with doubts going into the dry race and Manzi also pointed out that his rear suspension was too soft. For Mir it was as much about the other riders as bike setting. “I came together with other riders a couple of times, it was all very close. I was pushing as hard as I could, I wanted second but I wasn’t going to do anything crazy with Manuel on the last lap, we are all friends. The positive point is that the championship is still open and I will train very hard for Aragon.”

Fun to be had

Razgatlioglu had no bike problems. “It was a great bike today, so much fun to ride. Ray signalled for me to follow so that we could catch the group and we did, then we had a great battle and I managed to take fourth, I really enjoyed that,” concluded the 17-year-old Turk.

Martín accepted fifth with a mature smile. “It wasn’t a perfect race of course, I tried to stay out of trouble but the other rider (Mir) seemed to have other ideas. I didn’t let it get too me, I just settled to follow but I couldn’t, my bike setting was way off, both front and rear so I just kept calm and picked up the points. OK, we go on to Aragon,” he concluded, with only a tenth place needed from either race on the final weekend to give him the Cup.

Di Giannantonio, the 15-year-old Italian, fastest of the first year Rookies, was smiling as always. “Sixth is OK but honestly I am a bit disappointed, I wanted fourth, I had done all the work but it had destroyed the tyres, there was nothing left at the end, on the last laps I was sliding everywhere, but still it was fun.”

A wry smile from 17-year-old Briton Ray in seventh, “I just couldn’t hold them on the straights, and this time, unlike Silverstone, the bike setting wasn’t right so I couldn’t make up for it all in the corners. I did try.” He gets another chance for his first win since Austin and the beginning of last year in two weeks time at Motorland Aragon on September 27th and 28th.