It was a challenging first race day for the GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team at Balaton Park, Hungary with Remy Gardner taken out on the opening lap, while team-mate Dominique Aegerter finished 12th.
The day began with the final Free Practice 3 session, where both riders logged valuable laps ahead of the Tissot Superpole qualifier. Gardner (#87) set the seventh-fastest time with a 1’39.663, closely followed by Aegerter in ninth, who posted a 1’39.748.
Heading into Superpole with confidence, both riders looked to maximize their performance during the 15-minute shootout. Unfortunately, a red flag interrupted their fast laps in the second run. With just two minutes remaining, the GYTR GRT Yamaha duo returned to the track without fresh tyres. Gardner ultimately qualified 11th (1’39.437), with Aegerter in 13th (1’39.509).
Race 1 got underway at 14:00 local time. Both riders had decent starts off the line, but drama unfolded almost immediately as Gardner was involved in a multi-rider incident at Turn 2, just after the opening corner. The race was red-flagged. Gardner was taken to the medical centre, before being transferred to hospital in nearby Székesfehérvár with a back contusion and suspected concussion. Initial checks have since come back clear, but the Australian will remain in hospital overnight for further observation and has been ruled unfit for Sunday’s races.
Following the restart, Aegerter had a difficult launch, losing several positions early on. However, he worked his way through the field during the shortened 20-lap race, consistently improving his lap times and showing strong pace in the latter stages. He eventually recovered to finish 12th.
Dominique Aegerter – Superpole: P13 / Gara 1: P12
"First of all, I want to wish Remy a speedy recovery — I really hope he’ll be back soon. As for today, it wasn’t an easy one, and we were definitely expecting a bit more. The gap from P5 to P15 was really tight, but qualifying 13th made things tough in the race. I struggled a bit with grip, but still managed to gain some positions and finish 12th. Hopefully, we can make a step forward for tomorrow."
