New year, new regulation, new challenges: this is what Supersport awaits for 2022 and more and more teams appearing at the starting blocks. In the season that will begin in April we will also find Triumph, which is part of the intermediate class of production derivatives for the first time since 2018 and does so with the Dynavolt PRT team, present until 2020 with Honda and absent from the grid only in 2021.
The Dynavolt Triumph PRT team unveils the line-up to two riders and in 2022 it will rely on Hannes Soomer, now an old acquaintance of the 600 class, and Stefano Manzi, who will instead make his Supersport debut. The rider from Rimini made his debut on the world stage in 2015 in Moto3. Two seasons later he moved to Moto2 with the support of the VR46 Racing Academy, of which he still belongs today. After several seasons in the middle class, Manzi embraces the adventure of Supersport, in which he has already raced on two occasions as a wild card but which he now faces as a starting rider together with Triumph, who in his previous phase in Supersport won seven podiums and a pole position.
Stefano Manzi talks about his new adventure: “I am very happy to be part of this team and to be in this project that brings Triumph back to the world championship. I am now focused on my winter training to be 100% ready for the start of the season. I can’t wait to get back on track with my new bike ”.
Simon Buckmaster, Dynavolt Triumph Team Manager, says: “We are very happy to have Stefano Manzi from the VR46 Academy in the Dynavolt Triumph team returning this year to the Supersport World Championship. He represents an exciting prospect, with good performance in his Moto2 seasons. In the final part of last year he took a top 6, so he is in good shape. He has also already done a couple of wild cards in Supersport, so he knows Pirelli tires and of course he also knows the Triumph engine. I will not say it will surprise because many people think that he will be in front right away and that is what we want, to fight for the victories and for the title. We can’t wait to start testing with Stefano in March, and obviously also with Hannes ”.
Alessio Salucci, Sporting Director of the VR46 Riders Academy, comments: “The entire VR46 Riders Academy is more than happy with the agreement reached with the Dynavolt Triumph team. Being part of this project with such an experienced builder as Triumph is a great opportunity for Stefano. The Supersport World Championship is a very competitive category and I’m sure he will be able to do a great job with his new team ”.
Together with Manzi there will be Soomer, as mentioned. The Estonian joins the Dynavolt Triumph team after two seasons in the Kallio Racing team. In 2020 Hannes Soomer was the first rider representing Estonia to score points in Supersport, but in 2021 he faced a complicated season due to an injury to his left leg. However, he managed to get some good placings, which confirm the driver’s potential, in the intermediate class since 2015. In Supersport he conquered his first podium in 2020 at Magny-Cours, in the wet.
Hannes Soomer says: “I am very happy to be part of the Dynavolt Triumph team for the 2022 season. I really believe in the potential of the bike and the experience of the team and I am sure we can find a nice way to work fast. This year there will be new challenges, considering the new regulation which makes everything very unpredictable and interesting. I can only say that we will give everything we have and I can’t wait to start testing and work towards the season ”.
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