Action got underway at the iconic Phillip Island circuit with the final pre-season test taking place ahead of the weekend’s opening round of the championship.

GYTR GRT Yamaha riders, Remy Gardner and Dominique Aegerter mainly focused on race distance throughout the eight hours of track activity, with the goal of getting the most out of their Yamaha R1 machines. It was a busy day for Gardner, who completed more laps than anyone else, 103 in total. The local hero tried to save the best for last after showing strong pace and despite not being able to maximize his strongest sectors, he ended the test ninth with a time of 1’29.399.

For Aegerter it was an important test as it was his first time riding the R1 WorldSBK this year after being forced to sit out the January tests after being diagnosed with a viral infection. The #77 prioritised getting the feeling back with his R1, eventually working on building up to race distance. With 98 laps on the board, Aegerter finished in 13th place with a time of 1’29.648.

Both riders will now enjoy two days off before diving into the season's opening round between 23rd-25th February.

Remy Gardner: 9th (1’29.399)
“It was a strange day, but in the end we managed to find our way so I’m happy overall. We worked really hard and even though we had a challenging start, we understood what we needed and we found a positive path to follow. There’s still something to work on, but I feel we are ready for the race weekend and I’m looking forward for the beginning of the season.”

Dominique Aegerter: 13th (1’29.648)
“I was a bit nervous, I didn’t know how my body would be as I have not ridden in four months and with the infection, not trained properly in the last month. For sure I needed some laps to get used to the bike again. My body is a little bit stiff now after this long day, so thankfully we’ll have 2 days of recovery. Sure, we’d like to be in a different position but with the virus infection I had we couldn’t test and we missed some track time. The weekend starts on Friday and from Saturday we get points, so we’ll work hard to be more ready and more in front to achieve good results. Thanks to the doctors, the team, the sponsors and all the fans who are supporting me, I cannot wait to start.”