The GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team endured a difficult Saturday at the iconic Phillip Island Circuit, as both Remy Gardner and Stefano Manzi were forced to retire from Race 1 of the 2026 FIM Superbike World Championship.

Local hero Gardner began the day with Free Practice 3, completing several useful laps ahead of Tissot Superpole and Race 1. In qualifying, the Australian produced a solid lap but narrowly missed out on a third-row start, eventually securing 14th place with a time of 1’29.435.

In Race 1, the #87 made a strong start, gaining positions on the opening lap and showing competitive pace while remaining in contention for a top-ten finish. However, grip issues emerged in the second half of the race. Despite pushing hard to salvage a result, Gardner was unfortunately forced to retire in the closing stages.

On the other side of the garage, rookie Manzi faced a demanding Saturday during his first-ever WorldSBK weekend. After qualifying 18th on the grid with a 1’30.380 lap, the reigning WorldSSP Champion worked his way into points contention during the race. Sadly, with 13 laps remaining, the Italian rider was also forced to retire due to unforeseen circumstances.

The GYTR GRT Yamaha duo will return to action tomorrow for the final day of racing, beginning with the Warm Up session at 10:00 local time. The day continues with the Tissot Superpole Race (10 laps) at 13:00, followed by Race 2 (22 laps) at 16:00.

Remy Gardner – Superpole: P14 / Race 1: DNF
“We had quite a positive Superpole after struggling yesterday, and we improved the bike a lot and we only missed a few tenths to be in the top ten. In the race I felt quite good in the first ten laps, and was quite surprised with how much we had improved the set up. Unfortunately the last few laps were a bit difficult and we suffered with a lack of rear grip and I had to retire, hopefully we can sort the issue for tomorrow and bring home a result for the Australian fans.”

Stefano Manzi – Superpole: P18 / Race 1: DNF
“This morning in qualifying, I did not find the best feeling with the qualifying tyre so I was not so quick. In the race, we made a big change to the bike because we want to keep trying. Unfortunately, this modification created a bit of a problem for me and this meant I had to retire, I am sad to retire from my first race but we will try again tomorrow.”