Remy Gardner (Yamaha): Fewer World Championship points with every Superbike season

Remy Gardner’s entry into the 2023 Superbike World Championship was a welcome development. On the one hand, there had been a lack of a strong Australian rider in the field for years; on the other, the Moto2 World Champion brought experience from MotoGP and a high-profile name to the production-based world championship. Riding for the Yamaha-backed Giansanti Racing team, the 28-year-old had factory-spec machinery at his disposal, which was still competitive at the time.

Finishing ninth in the World Championship with 156 points, Gardner delivered a solid debut season. In 2024, the Sydney-born Australian secured his first podium finish with a third-place result in the second race at Assen, but performed slightly less well overall, finishing tenth in the standings with 140 points. Gardner repeated his podium finish at the TT Circuit in 2025, but overall he was once again less successful, finishing eleventh in the World Championship with 126 points.

And this season? Like all Yamaha riders, Gardner is struggling to make a difference with the underperforming R1. The GRT rider has only managed single-digit finishes at the Balaton Circuit (Race 1, 9th place) and at Misano (Race 2, 8th place). With eight of twelve rounds completed, his tally of 45 points is modest – and Gardner is currently only 17th in the overall standings.

The fact that Gardner is lagging significantly behind the Pata Maxus factory riders Andrea Locatelli (99 pts) and Xavi Vierge (80 pts) is also down to his qualifying performance. 10th on the grid in row 4 was his best Superpole result, whilst starting 21st on the grid at Donington Park was his worst – a long way from the points. The fact that he managed to finish 12th and 13th in the long races was a credit to him. A ray of hope for the 2021 Moto2 World Champion.

“That was encouraging ahead of the summer break,” emphasised Gardner, who speaks of progress. “We’ll take some time to recharge our batteries before we return, ready for the final part of the season. There’s still a lot to do, but the progress we’ve made gives us confidence and motivation for the remaining races.”

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Gardner has no worries about the future: his Yamaha contract runs until the end of the 2027 Superbike World Championship, as does that of his team-mate Stefano Manzi. The Italian is just 34 points behind Gardner and is likely to apply even more pressure in his second Superbike season.