The GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team returned to action today, 16 October, at the Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto, Spain, for the final round of the 2026 FIM Superbike World Championship. Remy Gardner and Stefano Manzi faced a demanding opening day, finishing 18th and 21st respectively in the combined standings after Friday’s two Free Practice sessions.
Gardner took to the track for Free Practice 1 at 10:35 local time, focusing primarily on race-distance preparation and using the same set of tyres throughout the 45-minute session. The Australian eventually finished 16th with a best lap time of 1’39.836. In the afternoon, the #87 rider continued working on long runs, prioritising race pace over outright lap time. He ended FP2 in 20th place with a 1’40.089, finishing 18th overall in the combined standings.
Manzi followed a similar approach, concentrating on race pace during the morning session. The Italian posted a best time of 1’40.253 to finish 20th in FP1. In the afternoon, the #62 rider continued working on long runs and improved his lap time to 1’40.141, although he ended the session 21st and the day in the same position in the combined standings.
Both riders will return to the track tomorrow morning for Free Practice 3, ahead of the Superpole session at 11:15 local time. Race 1 is scheduled to get underway at 15:30.
Remy Gardner: P18 (1’39.836)
“It was a demanding day, to be honest, but we remain confident and positive heading into the rest of the weekend. Temperatures are particularly high here at the moment, which is another factor we need to take into consideration. It wasn’t easy to make progress from the morning to the afternoon, although our main focus was on race distance rather than outright lap times. We’ll now work hard to find more performance and keep an eye on the weather forecast, as conditions could change quite quickly. If that happens, it could give us an opportunity to move up the field on Saturday.”
Stefano Manzi: P21 (1’40.141)
“Honestly, it wasn’t the Friday we were hoping for, but we’ll keep working hard to improve our performance. Considering the lap times we achieved during testing, we expected to be a little further up the order. However, the conditions are quite different this weekend, and the temperatures have been particularly high so far. We’ll analyse the data we’ve collected and try to find more speed, while also keeping an eye on the weather. Conditions could change during the races, potentially creating opportunities for us to put together a strong result.”
The Terra&Vita GRT Yamaha WorldWCR Team duo of Maria Herrera and Natalia Rivera returned to action today at the Circuito de Jerez-Ángel Nieto in Spain for the final round of the 2026 FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship (WorldWCR). Both riders delivered strong qualifying performances, securing second and fourth place respectively on the grid for tomorrow’s Race 1.
Following a productive Free Practice 1, during which she gradually regained her feeling and confidence on the Yamaha R7 after the long break, Herrera headed into the Superpole session determined to secure a strong result. The reigning World Champion delivered an excellent lap time during the 25-minute session, finishing second and securing a front-row start for tomorrow’s opening race. With just six points needed, Herrera has the opportunity to clinch the World Championship title on Saturday.
Rivera also enjoyed a very positive day after a strong performance in the morning session. The 19-year-old continued to push hard in the afternoon’s qualifying session, securing her best result of the season so far and the best qualifying result of her career. With a fastest lap of 1’51.904, she claimed fourth place and will line up on the second row, ready to fight with the leading group and aim for a strong result in Race 1.
Both riders will return to action tomorrow morning for Warm Up, before lining up for Race 1 at 12:00 local time.
Maria Herrera: P2 (1’51.524)“It wasn’t easy to get back on the bike after such a long break, so it took me a little while this morning to regain my feeling and confidence. However, we gradually got our speed back with every lap, and I was able to put together a good lap time in qualifying. We’re still missing something and need to improve in a few areas, but we can be satisfied with the work we’ve done and look forward to tomorrow. We need to stay fully focused, and the rest should come naturally. I can’t wait for tomorrow’s race!”
Natalia Rivera: P4 (1’51.904)“Overall, it’s been a positive day, and we can be happy with the result! We made a strong start this morning after the long break, and I felt comfortable on the bike, so we knew we had a good opportunity in the afternoon’s qualifying session. I’m happy that I was able to put everything together on my final lap and secure fourth place, just behind the fastest riders. I feel we could have been even quicker, which is great because it means we still have room to improve and push harder. Tomorrow, we’ll aim for a strong start and try to stay with the leading group. Then we’ll see what happens!”
Following the summer break, the Terra&Vita GRT Yamaha WorldWCR Team will return to action this weekend (16–18 October) at the Circuito de Jerez-Ángel Nieto in Spain for the final round of the 2026 FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship. Racing on home soil, Maria Herrera heads into the season finale with a chance to secure the world title with two races remaining.
The Spanish rider arrives in Jerez with a 44-point advantage over Beatriz Neila, having further extended her Championship lead with a strong performance at the previous round in Great Britain. Herrera needs to score just six points to secure the 2026 WorldWCR title, meaning she could be crowned World Champion as early as Saturday’s Race 1. The 30-year-old will also sport a special helmet this weekend, designed specifically for her home round.
On the other side of the garage, teammate Natalia Rivera is determined to end the season on a high after showing encouraging pace at the previous round. Jerez is a familiar venue for the Spanish rider, who enjoyed one of her strongest weekends of the season there last year. The 19-year-old will be aiming to build on that performance while also helping the Terra&Vita GRT Yamaha WorldWCR Team fight for the Teams’ Championship.
The weekend gets underway on Friday with Free Practice and Superpole, before Race 1 takes place on Saturday at 12:00 local time. Race 2 will follow on Sunday, also at 12:00 local time.
Maria Herrera: “We’re finally back racing after such a long break! Of course, I haven’t stopped training and have worked hard to be ready for the season finale. I’m also extra motivated because it’s my home round. We know what our title chances are, but our priority is to keep working in the same way we have throughout the season. If we do that, the rest will follow. We know we have the pace to fight at the front, so we need to stay focused and do our job as well as possible. That’s all that matters. I’ll also be wearing a special helmet this weekend, and I’m very proud to bring it onto the track. I’ll explain more about it during the weekend.”
Natalia Rivera: “I can’t wait to get back on track! It feels like a long time since our last race at Donington Park. Our goal is to finish the season on a high. We had a very solid weekend here last year and showed good pace, and Jerez is also one of the circuits I know best. Being on home soil makes us even more motivated to end the season strongly. We also have the opportunity to secure the lead in the Teams’ Championship, which would be a remarkable achievement. However, our first priority is to keep working hard and find our pace. The rest will follow from there. I can’t wait to get to Jerez and start racing again!”\
The GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team wrapped up the Estoril round of the 2026 FIM World Superbike Championship today at the Autodromo do Estoril, Portugal, with Remy Gardner and Stefano Manzi both fighting back to score valuable points in Race 2, finishing 12th and 14th respectively.
Following the morning Warm-Up, Gardner took on the Superpole Race, making a decent start and fighting his way to 15th place at the chequered flag. Starting Race 2 from 16th on the grid, the Australian pushed hard throughout the 21-lap contest, showing consistent race pace and gaining several positions to cross the line in 12th and secure a valuable points finish to close out the weekend.
On the other side of the garage, Manzi produced a strong recovery in the Superpole Race. The Italian made an excellent start, gaining nine positions on the opening lap to move into the top-10 battle. He eventually crossed the line in 14th after pushing hard throughout the 10-lap sprint. Starting Race 2 from 20th on the grid, the 2025 WorldSSP Champion delivered another determined comeback, once again finishing 14th to add further points to his tally.
Both riders will be back in action next weekend for the final round of the 2026 season, as the championship heads to the Circuito de Jerez-Ángel Nieto in Spain on 16–18 October.
Remy Gardner – Superpole Race: P15 / Race 2: P12
“Overall, it was a decent weekend considering where we started and my physical condition. My hand felt better each day, and I was getting stronger with every session, which is encouraging with another back-to-back round coming up. Our race pace was okay, although we are still some way off where we want to be. We need to take the positives from this weekend and carry them into Jerez, a track where we have been strong in the past. Hopefully, we can put in a good performance there and finish the season on a high.”
Stefano Manzi – Superpole Race: P14 / Race 2: P14
“Sunday was a decent way to finish the weekend after an unfortunate Saturday. I made a very strong start in the Superpole Race and found myself fighting for a top-10 position on the opening lap. I then tried to push hard to bring home a solid result. Unfortunately, I struggled a little towards the end, but it was still a good recovery. The same applies to Race 2, where we made another comeback and showed some good race pace overall. Now, let’s try to carry this momentum into Jerez for the final round. I have good memories of my first test there, so I’m confident we can finish the season on a positive note.”
Remy Gardner and Stefano Manzi returned to action today at the Autodromo do Estoril, Portugal, for the first race day of the eleventh round of the 2026 FIM Superbike World Championship. The GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team pushed hard throughout Saturday, with Gardner securing a point-finish in 15th place, while an unfortunate late-race crash ended Manzi’s hopes of a positive result.
Following Free Practice 3, Gardner headed into the Tissot Superpole session looking to improve his starting position. Despite pushing hard, the Australian was unable to climb higher than 16th, setting a best time of 1’35.407. Later, in Race 1, the #87 rider made a decent start and maintained a consistent pace throughout the 21-lap contest, despite still dealing with the effects of his recent left-hand injury. Battling until the chequered flag, Gardner crossed the line in 15th place to secure a valuable championship point.
On the other side of the garage, it was a frustrating Saturday for teammate Stefano Manzi. After a challenging Superpole session saw him qualify 20th with a time of 1’35.659, the Italian made an excellent start to Race 1, gaining six positions on the opening lap and immediately putting himself in contention for the top 10. The 2025 WorldSSP Champion showed promising pace and fought hard throughout the race, but unfortunately crashed in the closing laps, bringing his race to an early end.
The GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team will return to action tomorrow for the final day of racing in Portugal. The Superpole Race is scheduled for 11:10, followed by Race 2 at 15:30 local time.
Remy Gardner – Superpole: P16 / Race 1: P15
“It was a tricky race and a challenging Saturday overall, especially considering my recent left-hand injury. Nevertheless, I pushed hard and did my best to secure the best possible result. All things considered, our pace wasn’t too bad. Unfortunately, we were missing a little speed in Superpole, which would have helped us in the race, but we fought hard in Race 1 and securing a point in these conditions is a decent result. Of course, we’re not where we want to be, but we need to take things step by step. We’ll look ahead to tomorrow and see what we can achieve.”
Stefano Manzi – Superpole: P20 / Race 1: DNF
“It’s a shame to end the race this way. We made some adjustments between qualifying and Race 1 that helped my performance, and my feeling on the bike was much better than it had been in Superpole. I enjoyed battling with the group throughout the race. Unfortunately, I crashed in the closing laps, which is disappointing, but we need to focus on the positives and the improvements we made today. These give us confidence heading into tomorrow. We still have two races to go, and we know we have the potential to fight for better results.”
The GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team returned to action on Friday at the Autodromo do Estoril in Portugal, completing the first day of free practice ahead of the penultimate round of the 2026 FIM Superbike World Championship. Stefano Manzi and Remy Gardner ended the day 18th and 19th respectively in the combined standings.
Stefano Manzi began the day with Free Practice 1, continuing to build confidence as he familiarised himself with the Portuguese circuit aboard the Yamaha R1. The 2025 WorldSSP Champion used the same tyre set throughout the 45-minute session, setting a best time of 1’37.110 to finish 18th. In the afternoon, the Italian made a significant improvement in Free Practice 2, lowering his best time to 1’36.556 while continuing to focus primarily on race pace. He once again finished 18th.
It was also a busy Friday for Remy Gardner, who was declared fit to continue racing following Free Practice 1. The Australian started the day strongly, finishing the morning session 15th with a 1’36.889. He went on to improve his lap time in the afternoon despite a minor crash in the closing stages of Free Practice 2. Fortunately, the incident had no consequences for the 28-year-old, who recorded a best time of 1’36.646 to finish the session 19th.
Both riders will return to the track on Saturday for the Tissot Superpole qualifying session at 11:15 local time, followed by Race 1 at 15:30.
Stefano Manzi – P18 (1’36.556)
“It wasn’t the easiest day, but it was still a productive one. We focused on race pace and setup, and now we’ll analyse all the data we’ve collected to find more pace and improve our overall performance. I’m confident we can be quicker and get closer to the front group; we just need to put all the pieces together. Of course, a good qualifying session tomorrow will be important to give us a solid starting point for the races, but we’ll take it step by step and stay confident.”
Remy Gardner – P19 (1’36.646)
“First of all, it’s great to be able to continue and finish the weekend. Of course, I’m still not 100% physically, so it’s going to be a tough weekend and I’ll have to deal with some pain, but I feel strong enough to race, and that’s the most important thing. The morning session wasn’t too bad, although we struggled a little more in the afternoon. We’ll now go through all the data, and I’m confident we can make some improvements. I tried to push a bit harder in Free Practice 2, but unfortunately I had a low-speed crash in the closing stages. The positive thing is that I’m feeling well enough physically to continue, so we can keep working.”
