One round down, 11 to go, but before MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship riders take to the tarmac at the Pirelli Portuguese Round, they enjoyed a test event at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve ahead of the round. It was an important opportunity for the field to dial in their setups. The previous test here in January was largely unproductive due to heavy rainfall, which again unfortunately played a role in this test.

TYING UP LOOSE ENDS: “We had a few electrical issues which we resolved, and after that, the feeling was not so bad straight away”

With afternoon rainfall seeing off Day 1 on Monday, March 9^th and an overnight downpour leaving the track saturated with water on Day 2, the Australian rider elected to only partake in the test’s opening day. While his focus was on making improvements with the bike and fine-tuning the setup ahead of the upcoming round, his 1’42.092s time sent him to seventh place on the timesheets.

On what the test brought Gardner and his GRT Yamaha squad, he said: “We managed a few laps in the morning, we had a few electrical issues which we resolved, and after that, the feeling was not so bad straight away. It felt better than at Phillip Island, and I feel better physically as well, for sure. We worked on small things on the setup here and there. I feel like the bike is not too far from where we need to be. We went to put in a new tyre in the afternoon when rain started to fall, unfortunately, ending our Day 1.”

#87 LOOKING FOR REDEMPTION: “Hopefully we can come back stronger than what we had at Phillip Island”

The 2026 World Superbike season opener at Gardner’s home circuit at Phillip Island popped the bottle on a thrilling season of racing to come. Gardner’s results weren’t quite up to the level he would have hoped, but considering his ongoing return to race fitness after a shoulder injury over the offseason, his Race 2 P13 laid down a base of points for the upcoming season. The Aussie will hope that a stronger points tally from the upcoming round at Portimao is on the cards, and he wouldn’t be far off in hoping for that: apart from two crashes, a P15 and a P12 both from 2024, he’s remained in the top 10 at Portimao, including a personal best of P4 back in 2023’s Tissot Superpole Race.

On what he’s taking away from the test and into the upcoming Pirelli Portuguese Round, Gardner said: “I definitely feel more confident than at the last round, technically and physically. Unfortunately, on Day 2, it was wet and pretty poor conditions, so we couldn’t get any riding in. I’m already looking forward to the next round and the races here at Portimao. Hopefully, we can come back stronger than what we had at Phillip Island.”

Catch Remy Gardner and the rest of the riders in Yamaha blue as they hope to battle back to the front at Portimao with the WorldSBK VideoPass!