Aussie takes first steps in fulltime world championship bid.
Remy Gardner made his debut as a CIP Mahindra Team Moto3 rider earlier this week, taking part in two intense days of testing at the official Moto3 and Moto2 test days at Valencia, Spain.
The 16-year-old completed his CEV Repsol Spanish Championship season on the weekend, finishing ninth in the title after a tough season of set backs, before swapping from the Calvo KTM machine to the Mahindra on the Monday morning.
By the conclusion of events on Tuesday evening the teenage sensation had spend a total of five days lapping the famous circuit.
“I had heard that the Mahindra has a very good chassis and I was expecting that but as soon as I finished my first lap I knew the bike was very special,” Gardner said. “The handling is fantastic, the chassis is really good. It turns amazingly and I can carry much more corner speed than I expected, with no chatter!
“I fit the bike perfectly and I was comfortable and able to push to my maximum level after just two sessions making small suspension changes to suit my riding. I was using a practice engine in my bike, which is worth approximately half a second, so with a full power engine I would have been lapping in the 1:39s, which I am very happy about.
“The team are amazing. Very friendly, it is a family style atmosphere and I have very good mechanics and a highly-experienced crew chief. This team is going to be great to be part of next year. I can’t wait to ride the bike again in 2015”!
Gardner will now spend the break training hard in preparation for his first full season in grand prix.