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Remy Gardner leaves Austria disappointed after crashing out of the fight for the top 10, but is optimistic for the next round of the Moto2 World Championship in a fortnight.

The number 87 Tech 3 Moto2 rider hit the headlines in the damp conditions on Saturday morning, topping FP3 by a comfortable margin of 0.8s before qualifying on the fourth row of the grid in 11th.

A solid warm-up and a strong opening couple of laps saw Gardner within the leading group and appearing comfortable, before a crash on lap four put him out of the race. Despite the crash, he knows that he has the speed to challenge for regular front-running positions and is looking to make amends next time out.

“It’s a really disappointing end to what has been a really good and positive weekend,” Gardner recalled. “I was strong from FP1 and even went fastest in the damp on Saturday morning. I made a good start and held position before passing a few people.

“I was lucky to avoid the three-rider crash just ahead of me on lap three, but then I lost the front all on my own at turn six. My fault, I was just pushing too hard too soon. Hopefully at Silverstone I can bounce back with a good result.”

After crashing out of both Brno and the Red Bull Ring, completing just six races to date this season, Gardner currently lies 18th in the world championship standings.