The GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team returned to action today as the FIM World Superbike Championship got underway for 2026 at the iconic Phillip Island Circuit, with Stefano Manzi and Remy Gardner ending up 17th and 19th on combined times.
Rookie Stefano Manzi continued his adaptation to the Yamaha R1 during his first WorldSBK race weekend. In Free Practice 1, the Italian focused on improving his overall feeling with the bike, finishing 19th with a lap time of 1’30.577. In the afternoon session, the reigning WorldSSP Champion turned his attention to long runs in preparation for race conditions, while still managing to improve on used tyres to end the day 17th with a best lap of 1’30.388.
Local hero Remy Gardner endured a demanding opening day but gathered valuable data across both free practice sessions. Focusing on understanding the new Pirelli rear tyre, the Australian prioritised consistency over outright lap time. He finished 17th in the morning session with a 1’30.554, before continuing his long-run programme in the afternoon and concluding the day 19th with a time of 1’30.707.
The GYTR GRT Yamaha duo will return to the track tomorrow, with Superpole qualifying scheduled for 13:00 local time, followed by Race 1 at 16:00 as the 2026 season officially gets underway.
FULL FREE PRACTICE RESULTS
Stefano Manzi: P17 (1’30.388)
“Finally, we’re back racing for real! It was a solid day, and it’s always great to ride here at Phillip Island, especially with such nice weather. We know there’s still a lot of work to do, but this afternoon we were able to take a good step forward. That gives us confidence to keep improving, and I can’t wait for the first race.”
Remy Gardner: P19 (1’30.707)
“To be honest, it was a challenging day, but it’s always nice to be back racing, especially here at such a special place. Overall, the feeling is different compared to the test, maybe because of the new tyre, but we’ll keep working hard to improve. We’ll do our best tomorrow and I’m confident we can take a step forward.”
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