{"id":4499,"date":"2025-03-28T18:42:27","date_gmt":"2025-03-28T17:42:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.grtracingteam.com\/?p=4499"},"modified":"2025-03-28T18:45:12","modified_gmt":"2025-03-28T17:45:12","slug":"portimao-grt-friday","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.grtracingteam.com\/en\/portimao-grt-friday\/","title":{"rendered":"Rollercoaster Friday as Gardner and Aegerter Complete Free Practices in Portim\u00e3o"},"content":{"rendered":"

Remy Gardner and Dominique Aegerter were back in action as Round 2 of the 2025 WorldSBK season kicked off with Friday\u2019s free practice sessions at the Aut\u00f3dromo Internacional do Algarve, Portugal. The GYTR GRT Yamaha duo wrapped up the day in 13th and 15th place on the combined timesheets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the opening session at 10:35 local time, both riders focused on race setup and long-run pace, maintaining consistent speed while using the same set of tyres throughout the 45-minute outing. Gardner clocked a best lap of 1\u201941.972, placing him 13th, while Aegerter posted a 1\u201942.600, finishing 16th.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite warmer track conditions in the afternoon, both riders managed to improve their lap times. Continuing to prioritize race pace over a single fast lap, Gardner shaved 0.878s off his morning time, setting a 1\u201941.094 to end the session 12th. Aegerter made an even bigger step forward, improving by 1.172s to record a 1\u201941.428, finishing 15th.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remy Gardner \u2013 P13 (1\u201941.094)
<\/strong>\u201cConditions were quite different from the test, and managing them wasn\u2019t easy. Still, while our position isn\u2019t ideal, I\u2019m confident we can step up our performance tomorrow. Our pace in the morning wasn\u2019t bad, and I believe we can make another step forward to be closer to the front. A strong qualifying will be crucial to set up a solid Race 1.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dominique Aegerter \u2013 P15 (1\u201941.428)
<\/strong>\u201cIt wasn\u2019t the easiest Friday for us here in Portim\u00e3o, but we focused mainly on race pace rather than outright speed, which is positive. Our position isn\u2019t where we want to be, but the data we collected throughout the sessions should help us make solid progress tomorrow, starting from Superpole, which will be key for a strong Race 1. We\u2019ll keep working hard, and I\u2019m confident we can take a step in the right direction.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n