The GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team returned to action today at the Cremona Circuit, Italy, for the first race day of the weekend. Stefano Manzi and Remy Gardner pushed hard throughout Race 1, eventually securing points at the chequered flag with 11th and 12th-place finishes respectively.

Following an encouraging Free Practice 3, Manzi headed into the Superpole qualifying session with confidence. The Italian pushed hard, but a number of unfortunate yellow flags denied him the opportunity to improve his lap time, forcing him to start Race 1 from 14th on the grid. Local hero Manzi made a strong getaway, gaining several positions on the opening lap.

The 2025 WorldSSP Champion continued to push hard, showing consistent pace throughout the 23-lap contest. The #62 rider produced some quick laps in the closing stages of the race, eventually crossing the line in 11th place and securing further valuable points in his rookie WorldSBK season.

It was a solid effort from Gardner too. Following Friday’s crash, the Australian returned to action to post the 11th-fastest time in the Superpole session. In Race 1, he enjoyed a strong getaway to find himself in ninth place on the opening lap. Gardner then pushed as hard as he could to defend his position, eventually crossing the line in 12th place.

Both riders will be back in action tomorrow for the final day of racing, with the Superpole Race starting at 11:10 local time, followed by Race 2 at 15:30.

Stefano Manzi – Superpole: P14 / Race 1: P11
“Overall, it was a decent Saturday, although I felt we could have pushed for more. Unfortunately, I got a little bit stuck in the early stages of Race 1. I think we had more potential to show, but that’s racing. Anyway, I was still able to make some moves and progress through the field, showing consistent pace. Now we’ll work hard to find more performance and secure a better starting position for Race 2 through the Superpole Race. I think we have more pace in our bag, so let’s keep our focus high and look forward to tomorrow as we aim to finish the weekend in the best possible way.”

Remy Gardner – Superpole: P11 / Race 1: P12
“Unfortunately, missing yesterday’s Free Practice 2 wasn’t ideal, but overall I think we’ve done a decent job. In Superpole, we all pushed hard and the starting position was not too bad, although it wasn’t great either – definitely not the worst place to start. Then, in Race 1, I had a very good getaway, finding myself in a good position, and I tried to defend as much as I could to maintain my place. Unfortunately, I’m still feeling a bit sore from yesterday, so it wasn’t easy to push, but it was a decent result in the end. Let’s stay confident for tomorrow, as we have two more races to improve.”