For those like me who were lucky enough to follow the 500 world championship races of the 80s, those of Schwantz, Lawson, Rainey and Doohan, it is difficult to associate the first name of Remy with the surname Gardnerbut I’ll have to get used to it since this year the Australian son of art will race with the Yamaha GRT Team in the Superbike world championship.
Born in Sydney on February 24, 1998, Remy started with knobby wheels, to then move on to the track at a very young age. His father immediately directed him to the Spanish championships, and subsequently to the Moto3 world championship, where he made his debut in 2014. After two years spent in the smallest engine capacity, he raced in Moto2 in 2016 and was crowned World Champion in 2021. Last year he made the big leap into MotoGP with the KTM RC16 of the Tech3 KTM Factory Racing team, competing in a difficult season, at the end of which he decided to move on to the premier class of derivatives.
The young Gardner has already made his debut on the R1 in the December tests at Jerez, but due both to the contract that bound him to the KTM MotoGP Team and to the rain that compromised the tests, it was not possible to get any feedback on the two days that Remy spent with his new team. Now, with the terms of the contract with the Austrian manufacturer having expired, the former Moto2 world champion has released some interviews, in which he talked about his first contact with the bike and with the world of Superbike, but also with Ducati and Bautista.
“My R1 is easy to drive – this is the opinion of the Australian – and the power delivery is never aggressive. I immediately had an excellent feeling with the front that never skidded once. But the most important thing is that in Superbike the rider still counts for a lot. Motorcycles are not spaceships and there are fewer electronic devices. This allows the rider to lead and make a difference, and that’s exactly what I’m looking for right now. I hope to get familiar with my R1 as soon as possible – continued Gardner – to get the most out of our package”.
When asked what he thought of his new opponents Remy said: “Ducati is obviously very strong, and I think that with a bike like this, other riders too would be able to go fast. Probably not like Bautista, but in the past Redding too, despite his size, won many races with the V4 even though it doesn’t seem to me to be a bike suitable for very tall riders”.
The Australian will be back on track again in Jerez on 25 and 26 Januaryin the tests that will see most of the teams and riders of the 2023 Superbike world championship at work. From Spain they will then move to Portimao for another two days of testing, on 31 January and 1 February.
WorldSBK 2023 is about to begin!
