Stefano Manzi Joins Valentino Rossi’s Moto2 Team For 2017

Manzi is 5’11’’ tall and that’s the reason he is directly entering Moto2. With his big stature, he won’t be very competitive in the Moto3 class.

By Sreejith

Published: Thursday, November 10, 2016, 15:49 [IST]

Italian Stefano Manzi will join Francesco Bagnaia in the VR46 Moto2 team for 2017. The provisional entry list for the series has revealed and it's Manzi who takes the seat for Valentino Rossi's team.

Stefano Manzi Joins Valentino Rossi’s Moto2 Team For 2017

The 17-year-old has participated in just one season of the Moto3 in 2015 before dropping back to the Spanish-based CEV Moto3 series. He rode for Aspar Mahindra this year.

The young Italian made three Grand Prix wildcard appearances for Mahindra this year. In that three appearances, the most notably at Silverstone, where he finished fourth.

Manzi is 5'11'' tall and that's the reason he is directly entering Moto2. With his big stature, he won't be very competitive in the Moto3 class.

The provisional entry list also reveals that the wet weather master from Malaysia, two-time Moto3 winner Khairul Idham Pawi will join Japanese veteran Takaaki Nakagami in the Honda Team Asia Moto2.

Some riders of the Moto2 series are retained by the team such as Franco Morbidelli (Marc VDS), Edgar Pons (pons) and Hafizh Syahrin (Petronas Raceline). Speed Up team also retains Simone Corsi alongside newcomer Axel Bassani.