The third round of the CIV 2024 took place on the Tuscan circuit of Mugello.
In the premier class, the SBK, Kevin Manfredi fought until the end against every misfortune and technical problem, until giving up only on Sunday morning when the circuit's medical center declared him "unfit" for the race.
Manfredi's weekend was tormented right from the first free practice, when, after just three laps, the engine of his GSX-R 1000 broke.
Also in Qualifying 1, a new technical problem with the clutch prevented him from completing more than three laps.
Despite a night of attempted repairs, Saturday brought no improvement.
Another oil leak from the engine on the second lap forced him to return to the pits early. Despite this, with only one lap available, he set an impressive 11th time in 1:52.6, just four tenths of a second off the GSX-R 1000 record at this circuit.
Race 1 on Saturday was another difficult test. While Manfredi fought between 6th and 9th place, a new technical problem ended his race on lap 4.
The team worked late to resolve the issues for Sunday, but unfortunately it wasn't enough.
Kevin: “After returning from Japan with so much positivity, I wanted to tackle this weekend demonstrating once again how fast I can be with an older bike like the Suzuki GSX-R. Unfortunately, this weekend was completely black, with many technical problems and a significant gap in terms of engine acceleration and speed. I never wanted to abandon to encourage the team to bring home our work, but on Sunday morning in the warmup a fall at less than 80 km/h, which we are analyzing with the team because it is very strange, compromised me on a physical level. The circuit's medical center declared me unfit for the race due to a muscle and nerve contusion in my right shoulder, so I decided not to risk further damage and to recover for the next commitments."
Kevin Manfredi returned home on Sunday evening and began physiotherapy and rehabilitation on his injured shoulder on Monday, with the aim of being ready for the Dutch GP of the MotoE World Championship in Assen this weekend. It won't be easy, but La Spezia is determined and ready to grit his teeth.
Kevin thanks all the sponsors and technical partners of the 2024 season.
Comments