Remy Gardner (Yamaha) is baffled after his Cremona crash: “Something wasn’t right”

Remy Gardner’s crash at the start of the second practice session was just one of many at the tenth round of the 2026 Superbike World Championship – but it was the one with the most serious consequences. Following what initially looked like a harmless front-wheel slide through the twin bends 1 and 2, the Australian and his Yamaha R1 initially skidded gently across the tarmac before rearing up in the gravel trap and rolling over.

Gardner lay there briefly, looking a little dazed, but then walked away seemingly unharmed. The same could not be said of his motorbike. The R1 was so badly damaged that repairs during FP2 were impossible.

It was only after the first race on Saturday afternoon that it became clear: the 28-year-old from Sydney had broken the fifth metacarpal bone in his left hand. His hand was put in a plaster cast and Gardner was ruled out of Sunday’s race. “We tested various tyre options in the first practice session and the plan was to do the same in the second free practice and focus on the race distance. Unfortunately, I crashed in Turn 1 right at the start of the session,” explained the Yamaha rider. “I had the feeling that something wasn’t quite right with the track. Just ahead of me, Yari [Montella] had crashed in the same corner! After my crash, the red flag was waved.”

It was remarkable that the 2021 Moto2 World Champion managed to complete the first race over 23 laps and finished in twelfth place. “I got off to an excellent start, was in a good position and defended as best I could to hold my place. However, with the pain, it wasn’t easy to go full throttle, but ultimately it was a decent result,” explained the rider, who finished 18th in the World Championship. “Disappointingly, my condition worsened during the race and I felt increasing pain in my left hand, which didn’t subside later on either. I was then examined again by the medical team, and a fracture of the fifth metacarpal bone was diagnosed, and I was declared unfit to race.”

Gardner is confident that he’ll be fit to race again in two weeks’ time for the Estoril race weekend. “I need to focus entirely on my recovery now, as we’ll be back on the track in two weeks. I’m confident I’ll be able to line up on the grid at Estoril, so let’s stay positive and see how my hand progresses. I’m looking forward to making a speedy recovery and getting back on the bike.”

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Estoril: 1. Freies Training

FIM Superbike World Championship

09.10.2026 - 11:15

Willkommen zum Rennen in Cremona

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Nicolò Bulega

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Fans

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Sam und Alex Lowes

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Iker Lecuona

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Jake Dixon

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Garrett Gerloff

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Das Bike von Yari Montella

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Nicolò Bulega

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Axel Bassani

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Alex Lowes

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Xavi Vierge

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Alberto Surra

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Jake Dixon

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Andrea Locatelli

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Nicolò Bulega

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Sam Lowes

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Axel Bassani

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Yari Montella

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Andrea Locatelli

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Iker Lecuona gewinnt beide Läufe in Cremona

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Nicolò Bulega ist Superbike-Weltmeister 2026

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Weltmeister Nicolò Bulega

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Lauf 1 - Nicolò Bulega, Iker Lecuona, Sam Lowes

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Lauf 2 - Nicolò Bulega, Iker Lecuona, Yari Montella

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Cremona-Sieger Iker Lecuona

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Weltmeister Nicolò Bulega

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Willkommen zum Rennen in Cremona

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