The GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team wrapped up a productive two-day test session at Misano World Circuit on 20-21 May, with Remy Gardner and Stefano Manzi completing valuable mileage ahead of the upcoming rounds of the 2026 WorldSBK season.
Remy Gardner returned to action aiming to confirm the progress made together with his crew during the previous rounds, while continuing to work on further improvements for the remainder of the season. Across both days, the Australian focused mainly on bike setup work to improve race pace and consistency, while also dedicating time to qualifying performance with a time attack on Day 2. At the end of the test, Gardner completed a solid total of 176 laps, setting a personal best lap of 1’32.561 to finish tenth overall on the combined timesheets.
Meanwhile, local rider Stefano Manzi concentrated on improving his confidence aboard the Yamaha R1, searching for adjustments to enhance both performance and feeling with the bike. The Italian maximised his track time across the two days, evaluating several setup solutions with the goal of finding more speed and consistency ahead of the upcoming rounds. After completing an impressive total of 211 laps, the reigning 2025 WorldSSP Champion posted a best lap of 1’32.997, placing 13th overall on the combined classification.
Both riders will now return to action next week for Round 6 of the 2026 WorldSBK Championship at MotorLand Aragón, scheduled for 29-31 May.
Remy Gardner: P10 (1’32.561)
“It was a positive test overall, and it was great to get more mileage under our belt. Our goal was to confirm the progress we’ve made in recent rounds while continuing to improve, and we now have plenty of valuable data to analyse. I think we managed to make some good steps forward. The weather conditions were good throughout the two days, allowing us to complete a lot of laps, which was really important. Together with the team, we tried several different solutions with an eye on the upcoming rounds, and we’re confident we can move closer to the front for the rest of the season. We have another race weekend coming up immediately, so we’re looking forward to being back in Spain.”
Stefano Manzi: P13 (1’32.997)
“It was nice to be back on track again so soon and to complete a lot of laps ahead of another WorldSBK weekend. The weather in Misano was also very helpful, allowing us to make full use of both days of testing. Our target was to find more performance and speed for the next races by evaluating different setup solutions. Overall, it has been a productive test, and now we can carefully analyse everything we tried with the goal of putting all the pieces together. The objective for the second half of my rookie WorldSBK season is to keep reducing the gap to the front and fight consistently closer to the leading positions.”
The GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team endured a challenging final day at Autodrom Most in the Czech Republic, with both riders fighting hard to secure valuable results in Round 5 of the FIM Superbike World Championship.
After the morning Warm-Up session, Remy Gardner approached the Superpole Race feeling confident. Starting from 18th on the grid, the Australian delivered a strong recovery ride to finish 12th, demonstrating encouraging pace throughout the 10-lap sprint.
In Race 2, Gardner enjoyed a positive opening lap before settling into a consistent rhythm across the 22-lap encounter. Despite the difficulties caused by his starting position, he fought back once again to cross the line in 14th place after another determined comeback ride.
For rookie Stefano Manzi, Sunday proved more complicated following the promising signs shown on Saturday. The Italian rider finished 14th in the Superpole Race, earning 12th place on the grid for the final feature race of the weekend.
In Race 2, Manzi pushed hard to recover from a difficult opening phase and gradually found stronger pace in the closing stages. His efforts were rewarded with 15th position at the chequered flag, securing an important championship point.
The GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team will now turn its attention to Round 6 of the season at MotorLand Aragón in Spain, taking place in two weeks’ time.
Remy Gardner – Superpole Race: P12 / Race 2: P14
“It’s been a better day overall and we definitely made improvements compared to yesterday. Unfortunately, starting so far back on the grid made recovery very difficult, and we weren’t able to fight further forward. Still, we can take confidence from the progress we made and continue building momentum for the next races.”
Stefano Manzi – Superpole Race: P14 / Race 2: P15
“It wasn’t the Sunday we were hoping for after a positive Saturday. We were confident about taking another step forward, as we had done in previous rounds, but today was difficult and we couldn’t fully show our potential. Nevertheless, the weekend was productive overall and we made some good improvements. We’ll keep working hard and aim to come back stronger in Aragón.”
The GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team returned to action on Saturday at Autodrom Most in the Czech Republic, with Stefano Manzi delivering another encouraging performance to secure a Top 10 finish in Race 1.
After a disrupted Free Practice 3 session, where a late red flag prevented both Manzi and Remy Gardner from completing a flying lap, the Italian rider bounced back strongly in Superpole. Showing confidence and consistency throughout the 15-minute qualifying session, Manzi claimed 10th on the grid (1’30.578) - his best qualifying result of the 2026 WorldSBK season so far.
Race 1 was reduced to 21 laps following an early red flag interruption, but Manzi made an excellent start, moving into eighth place on the opening lap. Demonstrating strong pace and determination throughout the race, he remained in the fight inside the Top 10 and eventually crossed the line in 10th position, adding valuable championship points for the team.
On the other side of the garage, Remy Gardner faced a more difficult day. The Australian qualified 18th (1’31.373) and struggled to find the necessary grip during the race. Despite the challenges, Gardner maintained a consistent rhythm and fought hard to recover positions, ultimately finishing 15th and securing a championship point.
The GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team will return to the track on Sunday for the final day of action at Most, beginning with the Superpole Race at 11:10 local time, followed by Race 2 at 15:30.
Stefano Manzi - Superpole: P10 / Race 1: P10
“It was a positive Saturday overall and we showed good consistency. Unfortunately, we couldn’t complete a proper time attack in FP3, but qualifying still went well and achieving our best grid position of the year is encouraging. In Race 1, I pushed hard to stay close to the riders ahead and our pace was quite solid. In the second half of the race I struggled slightly and couldn’t stay with Locatelli to fight for eighth place, which was probably our realistic target today. Still, we can see there’s room for improvement, and I’m confident we can take another step tomorrow.”
Remy Gardner - Superpole: P18 / Race 1: P15
“It’s been a difficult Saturday and clearly not the result we were aiming for. We’re struggling more than expected at the moment, so we need to understand where we can improve. We made a small step forward between qualifying and Race 1, which is positive, but we still need more performance heading into Sunday. We’ll keep working hard overnight to close the gap and come back stronger tomorrow.”
The GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team returned to action on Friday at the Autodrom Most in the Czech Republic for Round 5 of the 2026 FIM World Superbike Championship, with Stefano Manzi and Remy Gardner completing a productive opening day focused on race pace and setup work ahead of the weekend.
It proved to be another positive step forward for rookie Stefano Manzi. The 2025 WorldSSP Champion opened proceedings in Free Practice 1 with the 13th fastest time in 1’32.408, concentrating primarily on race setup and consistency. The Italian continued to improve throughout Free Practice 2, lowering his benchmark by 0.645s to a 1’31.763 and ending the day in 15th position, underlining the steady progress made across both sessions.
Remy Gardner also enjoyed a solid start to the weekend. The Australian rider placed eighth in the morning session with a best lap of 1’32.000 before shifting focus in the afternoon toward long-run pace and race rhythm rather than outright lap times. Gardner still managed to improve to a 1’31.821 in FP2, finishing just behind his teammate in 16th place.
Both riders will return to the track on Saturday for Free Practice 3 before the Tissot Superpole session at 11:15 local time. Race 1 is scheduled to begin later in the afternoon at 14:00.
Stefano Manzi: P15 (1’31.763)
“Overall it was a decent Friday, probably one of the best we’ve had so far this season because we usually struggle more at the start of the weekend. There are definitely positives to take away. Normally we’re able to make a good step from Friday to Saturday, so I hope that will be the case again here. We tried to build on the positives we found in Hungary and they seem to be working here as well, so we’re confident we can continue improving and get closer to the front. We’ll keep building our pace step by step and hopefully have a positive weekend in the Czech Republic.”
Remy Gardner: P16 (1’31.821)
“The position isn’t where we want to be, but overall it wasn’t a bad Friday. We had a solid FP1 this morning and hoped to make another step in the afternoon, but our main focus was on race pace and setup work rather than chasing lap times. There’s still work to do to find more pace, but I’m confident that with a good Superpole we can put ourselves in a position to fight for strong results in the races.”
The GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team returns to action this weekend, 15–17 May, for Round 5 of the 2026 FIM Superbike World Championship at the Autodrom Most in the Czech Republic, with riders Remy Gardner and Stefano Manzi eager to confirm the progress shown in the previous round.
Remy Gardner heads into the Czech weekend motivated by the positive momentum gained on Sunday at Balaton Park in Hungary, where he demonstrated strong improvement throughout the event. The Australian also has fond memories of Most, having secured competitive results there in recent seasons, including a top-five finish in 2025.
Rookie Stefano Manzi is equally determined to continue his upward trajectory after making solid progress during the Hungarian Round, culminating in a top-10 finish in Race 2. The reigning 2025 WorldSSP Champion continues to adapt impressively in his debut WorldSBK campaign, consistently closing the gap to the front runners with each race weekend.
Following Friday’s free practice sessions, the GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team will contest the Superpole qualifying session on Saturday at 11:15 local time, before Race 1 gets underway at 14:00. Sunday’s schedule features the Superpole Race at 11:10, followed by Race 2 at 15:30.
Remy Gardner: “We have another race weekend ahead of us and we’re confident we can put together a solid round in the Czech Republic. Last time out in Hungary we had a difficult start to the weekend, but we managed to make good progress and ended Sunday with a decent result. The goal now is to carry that momentum into Most. It’s a track where we’ve been competitive in the past, with some strong results and even a front-row start, so I’m confident we can have a good weekend.”
Stefano Manzi:“It’s great to head into another race weekend because every session helps us improve and build confidence. In Hungary we had a positive Sunday overall, but we struggled too much in the opening sessions, and that’s something we want to improve. Our target is to start the weekend stronger by carrying over the positive feeling we found at Balaton Park. The team has achieved good results at Most in recent years, so hopefully we can work together to have another strong weekend.”
The GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team concluded the weekend on a positive note, with Remy Gardner finishing ninth and Stefano Manzi tenth in the final feature race, collecting valuable points at the end of Round 4 of the 2026 FIM World Superbike Championship.
Gardner began the day with the final Warm Up session before heading into the Tissot Superpole Race confident of delivering a strong result. In a shortened eight-lap race due to a red flag, he fought hard and recovered to finish 11th, narrowly missing out on a top-nine position that would have secured a third-row start.
Starting 12th on the grid for Race 2, the Australian rider delivered a strong performance from the outset. After a solid opening lap, the 28-year-old showed consistent race pace throughout the 21-lap contest, moving into the top ten. Maintaining a strong rhythm until the chequered flag, Gardner crossed the line in ninth place, demonstrating clear progress.
On the other side of the garage, Stefano Manzi also enjoyed a productive Sunday. Starting 19th in the Superpole Race, he made up several positions to finish 14th, showcasing strong speed. Carrying that momentum into Race 2, Manzi started 17th and fought his way through the field, gaining seven positions with an impressive pace to finish tenth, just behind his teammate.
Both riders will return to action in a few weeks for Round 5, as the GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team heads to Autodrom Most in the Czech Republic.
Remy Gardner – Superpole Race: P11 / Race 2: P9
“Overall, it was a positive end to the weekend. We made some solid improvements from yesterday, and we need to focus on the positives. In the Superpole Race, we were close to the top nine, which would have helped for Race 2, but it wasn’t a bad result. In Race 2, I was able to maintain a good pace until the end, which is encouraging, and finishing ninth shows good progress considering where we started. We’ll aim to carry this momentum into Most with confidence, as it’s a track where we’ve performed well in the past.”
Stefano Manzi – Superpole Race: P14 / Race 2: P10
“It was another solid Sunday, and it’s becoming a consistent trend. Once again, we made strong progress from Friday, and I’m happy with the improvements. At the same time, it motivates us even more, as we know there is still untapped potential if we can start the weekend stronger. Today our pace was good, especially in the latter stages, and I was able to catch Remy and battle with him until the end. I’m looking forward to getting back on track in a few weeks and making further progress. Finally, I’d like to congratulate my crew chief Tommaso and his wife on the birth of their third son—huge congratulations to them!”
