After two meetings in WSBK, the equivalent of six races, Remy Gardner has enough to get a clear idea of what is now his new category which he is tackling, in fact, this year, as a rookie. He scored 19 points despite a fall in Australia and a withdrawal in Indonesia due to gastro that sent him to the hospital once he returned home. He gives his first feedback from the handlebars of his Yamaha R1, and, obviously, he regrets nothing.
By winning his Moto2 world title in 2021, Remy Gardner thought he had done what was necessary to ensure a solid future in Grand Prix, especially after having validated his entry ticket for MotoGP. But we know the rest and the Australian had to fall back on the World Superbike to save his career. Here he is among the six pilots that Yamaha lines up in the category reserved for series machines, within the GRT satellite team of which it shares space with Dominique Aegerter. A structure that has little to envy of that of the factory where we find Razgatlioglu et Locatelli. The rest of the troop is divided between GMT94 with Baldassarri et Bradley Ray from the Motoxracing team that we will only see during European events.
We see that the effort of the Iwata firm is more substantial here than the only two M1 motorcycles that it offers in MotoGP... A prototype which is also very different from the basic sports car that we can find in the concessions. Remy Gardner, who descends from an RC16 KTM, explains certain points separating the two worlds: “ the bike is slower at the start than a MotoGP machine, it's more like a Moto2. We have a launch control, a rev limiter and a torque input, that's it. You control the motorcycle with the clutch and there's no trim level or anything ».
Remy Gardner: “ not everything is controlled by electronics, you can ride in a very fun way«
Remy gardner adds: " it's a fun bike. She moves beneath you, you can slide it and steer it with the rear wheel. Not everything is controlled by electronics, you can ride it in a very fun way ". He thus completes his expertise made on speedweek : " the brakes are very effective. Cornering isn't bad either, the front is pretty safe. I come from a very different bike than the R1, a bike with very little cornering speed. The handling is also completely different. I'm still getting used to it but let's just say it's a very balanced bike. ».
With the motorcycle adopted, what about the new environment? There too, the pilot of 25 years old does not seem to be nostalgic for his old world: “ everything is pretty relaxed here in the Superbike paddock. Of course, there will always be clashes on the track. But yes, it's more relaxed ". And he ends with what he hopes for the future of events: “ learn to manage tires, understand the entire category and above all have fun on the motorbike. After what happened last year, I should be able to enjoy this, and by mid-season, I hope so ". The next meeting of this championship will take place at the end of April in Assen.
