Image: Supplied.

A drenched 20 lap Indonesian Grand Prix was the first time Remy Gardner experienced riding a MotoGP bike in the rain, gaining valuable insight from the outing despite finishing lower than expected in 21st.

Gardner rode a mature race bringing his Tech3 KTM Factory Racing machine home after encountering visibility issues and learning how the RC16 and Michelin tyres reacted to the wet conditions.

“It was the first time riding a MotoGP bike in the rain, so it is never ideal going into a race when you have never tried the wet before,” Gardner explained. “If I am honest, I expected more of the race today. I had some visibility issues with the rain and it did not improve much as I was behind the others, but at least I took a lot of experience and managed to do the twenty laps.

“I was able to learn a lot about the tires as they are very different from the Moto2 ones. The last few laps, I found myself on my own, so I had less water coming into my visor and was able to start improving my sectors and my times. I try to keep positive and move on to the next race.”

The Australian MotoGP debutant currently sits 19th in the championship standings after scoring a point in his first premier class outing at Qatar, as the world championship heads to Termas de Rio Hondo after a two-year hiatus from the venue due to coronavirus.