Gardner To Make Wild Card Entry at the Grand Prix of Japan with the Yamaha Factory Racing Team

September 30, 2024—Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. is delighted to announce that Remy Gardner will spearhead the Yamaha Factory Racing Team as a wild-card rider at Round 16 of the 2024 FIM MotoGP World Championship, held at the Mobility Resort Motegi.

Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. is pleased to announce that Remy Gardner will be a wild-card entry in the Motul Grand Prix of Japan, Round 16 of the 2024 FIM MotoGP World Championship, riding the Yamaha Factory Racing Team YZR-M1 (with Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP livery) at the Mobility Resort Motegi circuit in the race weekend of 4 - 6 Oct.

Gardner already rode the 2024 Yamaha YZR-M1 in the German GP and the British GP, making him the ideal choice for the Yamaha Factory Racing Team for their one-off MotoGP entry. The former Moto2 World Champion's participation in the 2024 Japanese GP will be his first time riding at the Motegi track on a premier class bike since 2022.

Kazutoshi Seki - Yamaha Factory Racing Test Team Leader
“Bike development is at the heart of Yamaha's every move this year. The engineers are working very hard, and I am fully convinced that this wild-card entry will accelerate Yamaha's endeavours to develop prototype parts and increase bike performance. Remy Gardner has already successfully tested protype items for the M1 on two occasions earlier this year, so his prior experience makes him a logical choice in Cal Crutchlow's absence due to injury.”

Remy Gardner - Yamaha Factory Racing MotoGP Test Team Replacement Rider
“I am really excited to race in Japan, it's a country I always enjoyed visiting in Grand Prix racing, but to go to Japan and race for a Japanese manufacturer in MotoGP in front of the Japanese fans will be something special. It is nice that, after Sachsenring and Silverstone, Yamaha have asked me to go back. They clearly feel that I bring something to the development programme, so hopefully we can have a productive weekend in Motegi too. It will be a busy period for me with five races in five weeks, but I ride bikes almost every weekend anyway, so it's nothing new for me!!”

Personal Profile
Date of Birth: 24-02-1998
Place of Birth: Sydney, Australia
Nationality: Australian
Height: 174 cm
Weight: 63 kg

Racing Career

Remy Gardner Rider Biography
Gardner enjoyed a successful career in the Grand Prix paddock, which began with three wild-card entries in the 2014 Moto3 World Championship. After completing his first full season the following year, the Australian impressed on his Moto2 debut as a replacement rider at Barcelona, which saw him retained for the remaining rounds in 2016.

The Aussie became a consistent points scorer in the championship over the next few seasons, and in 2019 he scored a breakthrough podium with a second place in Argentina. In 2020, he was one of the Moto2 standouts, celebrating four podiums including a stunning maiden victory from pole position at the Portimão finale, ending the season sixth in the standings.

In 2021, Gardner enjoyed several exceptional performances, winning five times and taking 12 podiums while he placed inside the top 10 in every race he finished. He was crowned the Moto2 World Champion at the Valencia finale before being promoted to the premier class for the 2022 season.

In his MotoGP rookie season, Gardner has demonstrated strong progression and a high level of determination, but he would make the switch to Superbikes in 2023 with the GYTR GRT Yamaha team.

It proved a tougher transition than the Aussie expected, as he faced the challenge of learning not just a completely new style of bike, but new tyres, brakes and, in some cases, circuits too. Nevertheless, he persevered and made strong progress towards the end of the season, finishing an agonising few tenths from his first podium and able to see the winner cross the line ahead of him in the final race of the year at Jerez.

Remaining with the team for 2024, Gardner was looking strong after an impressive campaign in preseason testing. He didn't have to wait long for his first WorldSBK podium, which came at Round 3, Race 2, in Assen. He is now looking to build onto that success and is pushing towards securing his first WorldSBK victory.