{"id":6230,"date":"2026-04-18T18:44:31","date_gmt":"2026-04-18T16:44:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.grtracingteam.com\/?p=6230"},"modified":"2026-04-18T19:03:22","modified_gmt":"2026-04-18T17:03:22","slug":"worldsbk2026-assen-day2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.grtracingteam.com\/en\/worldsbk2026-assen-day2\/","title":{"rendered":"Potential Untapped for GYTR GRT Yamaha on Saturday in Assen"},"content":{"rendered":"

It was a difficult opening day of racing for the GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team at the iconic TT Circuit Assen, as Remy Gardner and Stefano Manzi faced setbacks in both Superpole and Race 1. Despite the challenges, Gardner managed to secure points with a 14th-place finish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Australian showed promising pace in the morning\u2019s Free Practice 3 session, finishing sixth with a lap time of 1\u201933.405. Heading into Superpole with confidence, the Gardner delivered a strong performance but a minor mistake in the final corner cost him a potential second row start. He ultimately qualified 10th with a time of 1\u201933.229.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Race 1, the former Moto2 World Champion made a strong start and demonstrated consistent pace in the early stages, sitting on the back of the battle for sixth position. However, contact with another rider midway through the race forced him down to 16th. Determined to recover, he fought back over the 21 laps to finish 14th and collect valuable points.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Stefano Manzi, it was a more demanding day. After a productive FP3 session, the Italian rookie pushed hard in Superpole but could only secure 20th on the grid. In Race 1, he struggled to find rhythm in the opening laps but gradually improved his pace as the race progressed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Manzi\u2019s progress was interrupted by a long lap penalty for exceeding track limits. After serving the penalty, he continued to push and eventually crossed the line in 19th place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both riders will return to action on Sunday, starting with the Warm-Up session, followed by the Superpole Race at 11:10 local time and Race 2 at 15:30.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remy Gardner \u2013 Superpole: P10 \/ Race 1: P14
<\/strong>\u201cUnfortunately, it wasn\u2019t our best day. We had the potential for more in qualifying, but a small mistake in the final sector cost us a second row start. Starting from tenth made things more difficult, although I had a good start and stayed close to the group ahead. Later, I was pushed wide by another rider, which dropped me back. I had to recover positions and salvage points. The race pace was encouraging, and we\u2019ll aim to improve in the sprint race tomorrow to set up a stronger Race 2.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stefano Manzi \u2013 Superpole: P20 \/ Race 1: P19
<\/strong>\u201cWe are still struggling; there\u2019s no denying it. We\u2019re working hard and seeing small improvements, but we\u2019re not where we want to be yet. In the race, the pace was not too bad and I felt more confident lap by lap. Unfortunately, the long lap penalty affected our progress, but I\u2019m confident we can take another step forward tomorrow and end the weekend on a more positive note.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n