{"id":6435,"date":"2026-05-02T18:59:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-02T16:59:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.grtracingteam.com\/?p=6435"},"modified":"2026-05-02T19:07:22","modified_gmt":"2026-05-02T17:07:22","slug":"worldsbk-balaton-d2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.grtracingteam.com\/en\/worldsbk-balaton-d2\/","title":{"rendered":"Challenging Saturday for Manzi and Gardner at Balaton Park"},"content":{"rendered":"

The GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team returned to action on Saturday at Balaton Park, Hungary, for the opening day of racing. It proved to be a demanding day for both Stefano Manzi and Remy Gardner, with the Italian rider salvaging a single point after finishing 15th in Race 1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After an encouraging Free Practice 3 session in the morning, where Manzi placed 11th with a time of 1\u201939.489, he headed into the Tissot Superpole qualifying with confidence. However, a late crash during the 15-minute session prevented him from improving further, forcing him to settle for 19th on the grid with a 1\u201940.390.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Race 1, the 2025 WorldSSP Champion made a strong start, gaining positions on the opening lap. Maintaining consistent pace throughout the 21-lap race, Manzi steadily improved his performance and ultimately fought his way up to 15th at the chequered flag, securing one championship point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other side of the garage, it was a difficult Saturday for Remy Gardner. The Australian rider qualified 14th in Superpole with a time of 1\u201939.602, but was later penalized and demoted to 17th on the starting grid for Race 1. He showed determination in the race, battling hard in the early stages and demonstrating solid pace. However, grip issues in the latter part of the race caused him to lose ground, and he eventually crossed the line in 16th position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both riders will return to the track on Sunday for the final day of action at Balaton Park. The Tissot Superpole Race is scheduled for 11:10 local time, followed by Race 2 at 15:30.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stefano Manzi \u2013 Superpole: P19 \/ Race 1: P15
<\/strong>\u201cIt\u2019s a shame about qualifying, as I couldn\u2019t push as much as I wanted. After a positive Free Practice 3, we were feeling confident heading into Superpole, but the crash compromised our result. Starting from 19th made things more difficult, but we knew we had decent race pace. I\u2019m quite satisfied with the second half of the race, where I was able to improve my lap times and keep pushing. We need to keep working step by step. This isn\u2019t where we want to be, but I\u2019m confident we can continue to progress and aim for a strong Sunday here in Hungary.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remy Gardner \u2013 Superpole: P14 \/ Race 1: P16
<\/strong>\u201cUnfortunately, it wasn\u2019t the easiest Saturday for us. I pushed hard in Superpole, but it wasn\u2019t enough to qualify higher than 14th, and then the penalty didn\u2019t help. In the race, I tried to fight and gain positions, especially early on, to stay close to the front group. The start wasn\u2019t ideal, but the pace at the beginning was quite good. However, I struggled more in the second half of the race due to grip issues, which is something we need to understand ahead of tomorrow. We\u2019ll keep working hard to improve and aim to finish the weekend on a positive note.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n