Austria hosted the seventh Grand Prix of the 2024 MotoE World Championship, with Rounds 13 and 14 taking place on the winding Red Bull Ring track.
Kevin Manfredi arrived in Spielberg highly motivated, with the aim of closing the gap to the leaders in the standings.
However, the track, which features very demanding braking in the first part, put the tyre pressures and suspension of his Ducati V21L to the test.
Despite Kevin having placed among the best in the first free practice sessions, just 0.5 tenths from the leader, in qualifying he encountered difficulties in finding the perfect lap.
In Race 1, Kevin fought with the group fighting for 6th place in the first part of the race, but, remaining in the slipstream, the pressure of the front tyre increased due to the heat, making him lose confidence towards the end.
In the second race, further setup issues slowed down the La Spezia native, who was unable to be competitive in braking, preventing him from making decisive overtaking moves.
Kevin: "The expectations were high. We immediately found a good balance in the first free practice, but from there I did not get any further improvements based on my requests on the setup. This year with the Team we are struggling to find the right feeling with the bike, I tried to change my riding style to adapt to what I have available, but in a world championship it is difficult to be competitive in these conditions. We go towards the last stage in Misano with the will to do well; as always, I will give my all."
Kevin Manfredi will now prepare for three consecutive and very demanding weekends, starting with Round 5 of the Italian Superbike Championship.
Kevin thanks all the sponsors and technical partners of the 2024 season.
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