With drops of rain affecting Free Practice 3 in the morning, both riders waited until the end of the session when the conditions had improved to push for a flying lap on their R1s. Gardner ended the session in 6th (1’30.440), while Aegerter was 13th (1’30.890).
Then, the GYTR GRT Yamaha pair impressed in their first-ever Superpole session. An astonishing late charge saw Aegerter secure a front-row start after qualifying in 3rd (1’29.635), just two-tenths of a second from polesitter Toprak Razgatlıoğlu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK Team). Gardner enjoyed a strong qualifying, too, as mere thousandths of a second denied him a spot on the second row, eventually securing 7th (1’29.841).
Afterwards, the rain returned ahead of Race 1, meaning both riders faced a new challenge as they prepared for their first WorldSBK race in the wet. Gardner and Aegerter enjoyed a decent start but then began to lose positions in the early stages due to the tricky conditions. Unfortunately, both struggled with grip in the following laps but fought hard to ensure they scored their maiden championship points after crossing the line in 12th and 13th.
