Remy Gardner capped off the Donington weekend with another determined comeback in Race 2, recovering eight positions to finish 13th after starting from the back of the grid. Stefano Manzi, meanwhile, narrowly missed out on the points, crossing the line in 16th after a challenging final race of the weekend.
Following Sunday's Warm-Up, Gardner contested the Tissot Superpole Race, where he battled hard over the 10-lap sprint to finish 15th. Starting Race 2 from the rear of the grid, the Australian made another strong launch and immediately gained several positions before settling into a consistent rhythm.
Showing competitive pace throughout the 23-lap encounter, Gardner continued to work his way through the field, making further progress in the closing stages. His determined charge earned him 13th place at the chequered flag, an eight-position recovery that allowed him to add more championship points to his 2026 campaign.
It was a more demanding Sunday for Stefano Manzi. After recovering from 19th on the grid to finish 13th in the Superpole Race, the Italian pushed hard again in Race 2. However, grip issues in the closing laps prevented him from maintaining his pace, and he eventually crossed the line in 16th, just outside the points.
The GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team will now enjoy the summer break before returning to action at Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours, France, for Round 9 of the 2026 FIM Superbike World Championship in September.
Remy Gardner – Superpole Race: P15 / Race 2: P13
"Overall, it was another positive day. We pushed hard in both races and, despite the difficult starting positions caused by qualifying, our race pace was competitive once again. We showed that today by fighting our way through the field and recovering several positions. That's encouraging heading into the summer break. We'll take some time to recharge before coming back ready for the final part of the season. There's still plenty of work to do, but the progress we've made gives us confidence and motivation for the remaining rounds. I'm looking forward to getting back on track and finishing the season strongly."
Stefano Manzi – Superpole Race: P13 / Race 2: P16
"It was a demanding Sunday, although there were some positives compared to Saturday, and that's been a recurring pattern during the first half of the season. On one hand, it's encouraging because it shows we're able to improve over the course of the weekend. On the other, we need to work on being more competitive from Friday onwards. We'll use the summer break to keep working hard, and I believe the remaining circuits should suit our package better. We'll come back fully prepared and determined to finish the season in the best possible way."
It was a dramatic conclusion to WorldWCR Race 2 for Maria Herrera and the Terra&Vita GRT Yamaha WorldWCR Team. The championship leader crossed the finish line in first place and appeared to have secured both the race victory and the 2026 WorldWCR title. However, a post-race penalty dropped her to second place, meaning the championship battle will now be decided at the season finale in Jerez. It was a difficult race for Natalia Rivera, who eventually finished 17th.
Starting from pole position, Herrera immediately took control of the race despite the challenging windy conditions. Displaying impressive pace throughout the 12-lap contest, she attempted to break away before being joined by Paola Ramos (Klint Racing Team) and Beatriz Neila (Ampito Crescent Yamaha). The trio remained locked in an intense battle until the final lap.
On the last lap, Herrera and Ramos made contact, but Herrera held onto the lead and successfully defended from Neila to cross the finish line in first, seemingly wrapping up both the race win and the championship. Following a post-race review, however, Herrera received a penalty for the incident with Ramos and was classified second, extending the title fight to the final round at Circuito de Jerez-Ángel Nieto. Despite the penalty, the Terra&Vita GRT Yamaha rider retains a commanding 44-point lead in the championship, with 50 points still available across the final two races.
Natalia Rivera's race proved more challenging. Starting 12th on the grid, she made an excellent launch to move into eighth on the opening lap and showed competitive pace throughout the early stages. However, an unfortunate incident forced her to run wide, costing her several positions. After rejoining, she produced a strong recovery drive but ultimately crossed the line in 17th place.
The Terra&Vita GRT Yamaha WorldWCR Team also continues to lead the Teams' Championship with 290 points. The team will return to action on 16–18 October for the final round of the 2026 WorldWCR season at Circuito de Jerez-Ángel Nieto in Spain.
Maria Herrera – P2
"First of all, today's conditions were even more challenging than yesterday because of the wind, but I think we managed the race very well. Our pace was strong throughout and we were able to push at the maximum. The final lap was very intense. I kept my line and stayed in front, so I wasn't expecting the penalty. Of course, it's disappointing to lose the victory this way, especially because it would also have secured the championship. But that's racing. We still have a strong points advantage heading into the final round. Racing at Jerez in front of my home fans will be very special, and I'm really looking forward to it. Now it's time to enjoy a short summer break, recharge, and come back fully prepared for the season finale."
Natalia Rivera – P17
"It definitely wasn't our weekend. We had good pace, but unfortunately we weren't able to convert it into the result we deserved. Once again I made a strong start, but after an unfortunate incident I had to run wide and lost a lot of positions. I rejoined and my pace remained good, but it wasn't enough to recover into the points. It's disappointing, but we leave Donington knowing we have the speed to fight further up the field. I'm looking forward to Jerez, a circuit I know very well and where I had a strong race last year. My goal is to fight at the front and finish the season on a high."
Remy Gardner delivered an impressive comeback in the opening race of the WorldSBK weekend at Donington Park, Great Britain, charging from the back of the grid to finish 12th after a determined ride. Teammate Stefano Manzi also showed promising race pace, but an unfortunate final stint saw him slip to 16th.
After the morning Free Practice 3, Gardner entered the Superpole session with confidence. However, a crash during a promising flying lap ended his qualifying early, forcing him to start Race 1 from the back of the grid.
Despite the setback, the Australian made an excellent launch and immediately gained several positions. Maintaining a strong and consistent pace throughout the 23-lap race, he steadily worked his way through the field, reducing the gap to the riders ahead lap after lap. His determined charge earned him a 12th-place finish, recovering nine positions and securing valuable championship points.
On the other side of the garage, Stefano Manzi faced a difficult qualifying session, lining up 19th on the grid. The reigning 2025 FIM Supersport World Champion made a solid start and matched Gardner's pace for much of the race, climbing through the order. However, while preparing for a final push in the closing laps, an unfortunate sequence of events cost him several positions, leaving him just outside the points in 16th place at the chequered flag.
The GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team will return to the track on Sunday for the final day of action at Donington Park, with the Superpole Race scheduled for 11:10 local time, followed by Race 2 at 15:30.
Remy Gardner – Superpole: P21 / Race 1: P12
"Overall, it was a positive race and we showed strong pace throughout the 23 laps. It's a shame about qualifying because we had the potential for a much better result, and I was on a good lap before the crash, so I'm disappointed about that. Still, I pushed as hard as I could from the start of Race 1 and in the end it paid off. I'm happy we managed to recover some valuable points with a strong comeback. I'd like to thank the whole team for all their hard work after qualifying. It's a decent reward, but tomorrow we'll aim for even more, even if starting from the back of the grid again won't make things easy."
Stefano Manzi – Superpole: P19 / Race 1: P16
"It wasn't the Saturday we were hoping for, but now our focus is on the final day of the weekend. Qualifying was difficult and we couldn't do better than 19th, but our race pace was quite good and I was able to stay close to Remy for most of the race. Then, as I was preparing to make my final push, things didn't go our way and I lost several positions, finishing 16th. It's frustrating because we had the potential to score points. We'll analyse everything tonight and try to make another step forward for tomorrow."
Maria Herrera claimed her sixth victory of the 2026 FIM Women's Circuit Racing World Championship season with a commanding performance in Race 1 at Donington Park, extending her championship lead for the Terra&Vita GRT Yamaha WorldWCR Team. It was a more challenging race for teammate Natalia Rivera, who recovered from an unfortunate opening lap to finish 14th.
Starting from pole position, championship leader Herrera made the perfect launch and held onto the lead through a dramatic opening lap that included contact with Beatriz Neila (Ampito Crescent Yamaha). Although she was later handed a double Long Lap Penalty for the incident, the Spanish rider kept her composure, served the penalty, and immediately fought back to the front. Maintaining an impressive pace throughout the 12-lap contest, Herrera crossed the finish line in first place to secure another outstanding victory.
It marks her sixth win from ten races this season, allowing her to extend her championship advantage to 49 points with only three races remaining. Should she outscore Beatriz Neila by just one point in Sunday's Race 2, Herrera will be crowned 2026 WorldWCR Champion. Thanks to setting the fastest lap in Race 1, she will also start Sunday's race from pole position.
It was a frustrating afternoon for Natalia Rivera. Forced to take evasive action after a rider crashed directly in front of her on the opening lap, the Spaniard dropped to the back of the field before beginning an impressive recovery. Showing strong race pace, Rivera climbed back to 14th at the chequered flag and will line up 12th on the grid for Race 2, determined to fight closer to the front.
The Terra&Vita GRT Yamaha WorldWCR Team returns to the track on Sunday for the Warm-Up session before the final race of the weekend, scheduled to start at 13:00 local time.
Maria Herrera – P1
"It was a very intense race. My goal at the start was to keep the lead, and I managed to do that. I only found out that Beatriz had crashed when I arrived at parc fermé. I wasn't expecting the penalty, but once the team informed me, I focused on pushing as hard as possible to build enough of a gap. Fortunately, I had enough margin to stay in front after serving the Long Lap Penalty and take another victory, which is what matters most. I'm very happy because we're working really well together as a team. We'll keep the same approach tomorrow, and starting from pole position again is definitely another positive. We need to stay fully focused and aim to finish the weekend in the best possible way."
Natalia Rivera – P14
"The opening lap was really unfortunate because I think we had the pace to fight for a much stronger result. Unfortunately, I had to avoid a rider who crashed right in front of me, and that dropped me to the back of the field. I never gave up and kept pushing to recover as many positions as possible. In the end we managed to score a couple of points, which is still important, and we also showed that our race pace was competitive despite starting our recovery from last place. Tomorrow we'll start from 12th on the grid because of today's result, but we're confident we can fight with the leading group if we make a good start and have a bit more luck. I'm really looking forward to Race 2."
The GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team completed a productive opening day at Donington Park as the eighth round of the 2026 FIM Superbike World Championship got underway. With the emphasis firmly on race preparation, Remy Gardner and Stefano Manzi finished Friday 15th and 19th respectively on the combined timesheets after two constructive practice sessions.
Gardner and his crew dedicated the day to evaluating race setup options and gathering valuable data for the weekend ahead. The Australian returned to the historic British circuit with a solid start in Free Practice 1, setting a best lap of 1'26.833 to finish 14th. Despite warmer track conditions in the afternoon, the 28-year-old improved his pace to a 1'26.462 while continuing to work through his race package, ending the day 15th overall.
For rookie Stefano Manzi, Friday marked another important step in his adaptation to the Yamaha R1 around the demanding Donington Park layout. After recording a 1'27.023 in the morning session to place 17th, the reigning WorldSSP Champion made encouraging progress throughout the afternoon. Improving his best lap to 1'26.765 while focusing on race consistency, the Italian concluded the opening day 19th on the combined standings.
Both will return to the track on Saturday for Free Practice 3 before the crucial Tissot Superpole session at 11:15 local time, with Race 1 scheduled to begin at 15:30.
Remy Gardner: "Overall, it was a productive day and we completed a lot of useful laps while collecting plenty of data for the rest of the weekend. The position isn't where we want to be, but we're aware of the areas where we can improve and I think we still have some margin to find. Qualifying will be particularly important because the field is incredibly close and even a tenth of a second can make a big difference on the starting grid. We'll keep working hard overnight, and I'm confident we can make another step forward ahead of Race 1."
Stefano Manzi: "It was a demanding but positive first day. This was my first time riding the Yamaha R1 at Donington Park, which is a fantastic but also very challenging circuit, so we knew it would take some time to build confidence. We made good progress between the morning and afternoon sessions, and I'm optimistic we can take another step tomorrow. The goal is to close the gap to the riders ahead, put together a strong qualifying performance and be in a better position for Race 1."
The Terra&Vita GRT Yamaha WorldWCR Team enjoyed an outstanding qualifying day at Donington Park, with Maria Herrera securing a commanding pole position for Round 4 of the 2026 FIM Women's Circuit Racing World Championship. The Spaniard claimed her fourth pole position of the season in record-breaking fashion, while teammate Natalia Rivera will line up seventh on the grid after a determined Superpole performance.
After finishing third in Friday morning's Free Practice, reigning World Champion and championship leader Herrera carried her strong form into the decisive Tissot Superpole session. Setting an exceptional lap of 1'39.091, the Spaniard not only secured pole position by more than half a second but also established a new Superpole lap record around the iconic Donington Park circuit, underlining the pace of both rider and Yamaha R7.
Rivera also delivered a positive qualifying performance as she continued to build confidence around the British venue. The 19-year-old initially set a best lap of 1'41.483 to qualify ninth, before post-session revisions promoted her to seventh on the starting grid, giving her a strong platform for Saturday's opening race.
The Terra&Vita GRT Yamaha WorldWCR Team will return to the track on Saturday for the morning Warm Up before Race 1 gets underway at 13:00 local time.
Maria Herrera: "It's always nice to be back on pole position and it's a great reward for all the work the team has done, but the weekend is still long and we need to stay fully focused. We already had a good feeling this morning and knew exactly where we could improve for qualifying, so I'm happy we managed to put everything together. I expect Race 1 to be very competitive with several riders capable of fighting at the front, so it won't be an easy race. We'll prepare as well as possible and aim to fight for the best result."
Natalia Rivera: "Overall, it was a positive qualifying session. Starting from the third row gives us a solid opportunity for the race. We were a little unfortunate with the yellow flag at the end because I think there was potential to improve our lap time, but I'm still satisfied with the progress we made. Now we'll keep working to find a little more pace and our goal is to stay with the leading group and fight as far forward as possible."
