In adverse conditions and on a wet track, the Superbike World Championship newcomers Domi Aegerter and Remy Gardner from the Giansanti Racing Team tested the Yamaha R1 for the first time on Tuesday.
Former Moto2 world champion and this year’s MotoGP rider Remy Gardner is only allowed to talk about his new employer Yamaha from December 31, 2022 due to his KTM contract.
The Australian did his first laps with the R1 on the wet Circuito de Jerez in rain and gusts of wind on Tuesday, as did his new GRT colleague Domi Aegerter. Both used half of their ten test days for the coming season to get a first impression of the superbike.
“I drove 47 laps, at least it wasn’t too cold,” Aegerter summarized his premiere. “The conditions were strange so of course it’s difficult to get a feel for the bike. We just worked a bit on the set-up and took care of the seating position and the electronics. It was good to see and work with the team for the first time. I need to know how they work. And they need to know how I react to changes.”
«I was hoping for a dry day, but it doesn’t look good for Wednesday either», added the two-time Supersport World Champion from Switzerland. «The conditions will be similar. In the rain I need more cornering speed, this will come with more laps and more confidence in the bike. Working with the team is fun, it all already feels quite familiar. It’s nice that I have my first test before Christmas.”
Because the MotoGP test team rented the track in Jerez from Honda, The test takes place behind closed doors. The Superbike teams are not allowed to take driving photographs or publish lap times.
Participants of the Jerez test:
MotoGP:
HRC Test Team: Stefan Bradl
KTM Test Team: Dani Pedrosa, Mika Kallio
Superbike:
Bonovo BMW: Garrett Gerloff, Loris Baz
HRC: Iker Lecuona, Xavi Vierge
MIE Honda: Eric Granado
GRT Yamaha: Domi Aegerter, Remy Gardner
Pata Yamaha: Toprak Razgatlioglu, Andrea Locatelli