Remy Gardner and Dominique Aegerter completed their first-ever WorldSBK Race in the wet at the iconic Phillip Island circuit, scoring points after finishing 12th and 13th, respectively.

With drops of rain affecting Free Practice 3 in the morning, both riders waited until the end of the session when the conditions had improved to push for a flying lap on their R1s. Gardner ended the session in 6th (1’30.440), while Aegerter was 13th (1’30.890).

Then, the GYTR GRT Yamaha pair impressed in their first-ever Superpole session. An astonishing late charge saw Aegerter secure a front-row start after qualifying in 3rd (1’29.635), just two-tenths of a second from polesitter Toprak Razgatlıoğlu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK Team). Gardner enjoyed a strong qualifying, too, as mere thousandths of a second denied him a spot on the second row, eventually securing 7th (1’29.841).

Afterwards, the rain returned ahead of Race 1, meaning both riders faced a new challenge as they prepared for their first WorldSBK race in the wet. Gardner and Aegerter enjoyed a decent start but then began to lose positions in the early stages due to the tricky conditions. Unfortunately, both struggled with grip in the following laps but fought hard to ensure they scored their maiden championship points after crossing the line in 12th and 13th.

Remy Gardner – 12°
“I think I expected a different result. Anyway, the first race in the wet is done, and we know where to improve. It’s time to look forward and hope for a dry race tomorrow. The Tissot Superpole was good; I’m happy with the lap time even though we got a bit unlucky with getting caught behind some riders in the final sector.”

Dominique Aegerter – 13°
“I really enjoyed Superpole. I was delighted with my lap time, and qualifying on the front row was unbelievable. Then came the challenge of my first WorldSBK race in the rain. We don’t have any data in the wet conditions at this track, so it was tricky. The first laps were good, but then I had a small drop-off in tyre performance and started to lose grip. We will work overnight to understand what happened. Anyway, we got some points, and we’ll keep doing our best tomorrow to get a good result, hoping for a dry Superpole Race and Race 2.”