Aegerter Battles to Seventh in Donington Race 1, Solid Comeback from Gardner
The GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team riders, Dominique Aegerter and Remy Gardner, delivered a determined performance in Race 1 at Donington Park, finishing seventh and ninth respectively.
The day began with a productive Free Practice 3 session, allowing both riders to fine-tune their setups ahead of the crucial Tissot Superpole. In the intense 15-minute qualifying session, Aegerter posted the 11th fastest time (1’25.626), narrowly missing out on a second row start by just thousandths of a second. Gardner, meanwhile, set a 1’25.953 to qualify 16th after making a mistake on his quickest lap.
As the lights went out for Race 1, both riders made an immediate impact, gaining ground in the opening lap. Double WorldSSP Champion Aegeter, fought his way into podium contention and remained so until the closing stages, eventually crossing the line in a solid seventh place. Gardner also impressed, carving his way up from 16th to finish ninth, showcasing strong race pace throughout the 23-lap contest.
FULL SUPERPOLE RESULTS
FULL RACE 1 RESULTS
Dominique Aegerter – Superpole: P11 / Race 1: P7
“It was a positive Saturday overall. We were hoping for a slightly better qualifying, but it was incredibly close – just a few thousandths separated us from a spot on the third or even second row. In the race, I was a bit lucky to avoid the early incidents, and after that, my pace was strong. I stayed close to the front group, which is a good sign. We’ll keep working to improve and aim for an even better Sunday. First, we’ll target a strong result in the Superpole Race to earn a better grid position for Race 2.”
Remy Gardner – Superpole: P16 / Race 1: P9
“Overall, it was a solid race. Of course, qualifying didn’t go our way, and starting from that far back in WorldSBK always makes things tough. Still, I’m happy with our race pace – it was strong from the first lap to the last, and we were matching the times of the guys fighting for fourth. Hopefully we can carry that into the Superpole Race tomorrow and build towards a strong Race 2, aiming to stay as close to the front as possible.”
