The GYTR GRT Yamaha riders put FP3 to good use and were well prepared to produce quick laps on their way to the Tissot Superpole. The Australian rider in particular rode strongly and went on to set a great 1’31.419, initially earning him fourth. Following a results revision by race direction, the #87 was promoted to 3rd, which meant a first ever WorldSBK front row for him. On the other side of the garage, Aegerter was on a quick lap as well, but he unfortunately crashed out and couldn’t manage more than 10th (1’31.822).
With skies dark closing in as the WorldSBK field waited to start, Race 1 was declared wet. Gardner opted for wet tyres which helped him to the front in the early stages, but as the track has dried the Aussie came in the pits to switch to slick compounds. The #87 rejoined as one of the quickest riders on track, recovering to P11 and managing the full race distance well but unable to climb further through the order. Meanwhile, Aegerter started on intermediates, completing the race on the same set of tyres. The Swiss rider dropped to P21 on the second lap, but he went quicker with each passing lap and crossed the line in 8th, which meant he gained 13 positions with some great moves to grab more points for his campaign.
