SBK | Yamaha GRT: is the opportunity for Dominique Aegerter?

Remy Gardner in Superbike: this was the least kept secret of the latest market maneuvers. After many rumors, the news was confirmed last week and the Australian has found his place in the production derivatives from 2023 after the great disappointment in MotoGP. The current KTM rider will replace Garrett Gerloff, who will leave Yamaha at the end of 2022 to join BMW, defining even more the starting grid for next season.

The line-ups are now almost complete, there are still a few pieces to be inserted to fully define the starting lines for the 2023 World Superbike and a new rookie joins the riders from MotoGP. The GRT team, Yamaha satellite team, welcomed Remy Gardner in the garage, but it is not yet known who his teammate will be. In fact, if almost all of the officialities have arrived, there is still a doubt about the second saddle of the independent team headed by Iwata.

Kohta Nozane is currently the second rider of the GRT team, but in light of the results and the pressure that comes from Supersport, it is not so difficult to think that his saddle will falter for next year. In fact, the Japanese is currently 19th in the general classification with only 13 points, unlike his teammate, who despite a particularly complicated season (here the interview with Garrett Gerloff) is in 11th position at 76 points.

Those who are bringing excellent results instead is Dominique Aegerter, already looking for a place in Superbike last year. The Swiss had not managed to find accommodation in the premier class of production derivatives despite the world title in Supersport and this year he continued his path in the 600, where he is dominating. However, in the standings the standard bearer Ten Kate has only 19 points ahead of Lorenzo Baldassarri, who is directly behind him. The world fight between the two is intense, but Aegerter has shown great solidity and for some time now requests have been raised to have him in Superbike.

However, these have never materialized, at least until now. However, Nozane’s position could falter dangerously and it seems that the time has come for the Swiss to take the opportunity and make the leap he so longed for. Nothing is confirmed yet, but already from the Magny-Cours round, with the rumors of Gerloff in BMW and Gardner in GRT, the hypothesis began to circulate that the Yamaha satellite team was ready for a total renewal. It is just rumors, in fact. Yet GRT could concretely represent the real opportunity for Dominique Aegerter, ready for promotion.

The Swiss has never hidden the fact that he has talked to various manufacturers, the desire to make the leap in category is great and now it seems that the real opportunity is presenting itself. But we must not forget Lorenzo Baldassari, arrived this year in Supersport and already fighting for the title with the Yamaha of the Evan Bros team. The Italian has the same ambitions as his direct rival and at the moment there is “a saddle for two ”, but the chances that the choice will fall on Aegerter are far greater. Always if Nozane is not confirmed.