From: Jamie Klein, News editor
12h
American rider Garrett Gerloff says he feels “in a really good place” ahead of the start of his second World Superbike campaign with the GRT Yamaha team.
Gerloff moved from MotoAmerica to WSBK last year and finished 11th overall in his rookie season. Towards the end of the season he scored three podiums.
He convincingly beat his GRT Yamaha teammate Federico Caricasulo, who lost his place next to Gerloff against the All-Japan Superbike champion and the one-time MotoGP starter Kohta Nozane in 2021.
Gerloff also had the opportunity to replace a Valentino Rossi hit by COVID on Yamaha’s MotoGP motorcycle in Valencia, despite retiring to the paddock after Rossi’s return to the paddock over the weekend after Friday’s practice session.
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This weekend Gerloff will start his second season in the WSBK in Aragon with the advantage of knowing the majority of the courses and already being established in the second string GRT team.
“I came to Europe for the first time a year ago and for the first time on all these tracks,” he said in an interview with the official World Superbike website. “It takes time to have a relationship with the team. Everything was just new, new, constantly new.
“I feel a lot more planted, a lot more part of this World Superbike world and closer to the action. It was a big step for me mentally, I feel in a really good place. It’s the greatest thing there is.” changed in the past year. “
Gerloff came to the WSBK after two seasons in the Top Superbike Division of MotoAmerica and was third in his second season behind Cameron Beaubier and ex-MotoGP star Toni Elias.
These campaigns followed two titles in MotoAmerica’s Superstock class in 2016 and ’17.
“I wouldn’t have taken the risk of coming here if I didn’t think I could do something. That’s why my inner pressure comes from within,” continued the 25-year-old from Texas.
“I’ve always dreamed of becoming world champion. I can’t and can’t imagine how it feels to be on the podium at the end of the year with your arms in the air and know that you are. ” best guy in the world at something.
“It gives me goosebumps just thinking about it. I’ve always wanted that since I started racing. I’m definitely motivated to try this.”
Gerloff was third fastest on the second day of the WSBK’s joint test in Barcelona at the end of March and was only behind Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki) and Scott Redding (Ducati). At the beginning of April he was again third in a private test in Aragon Ducati pair Redding and Michael Ruben Rinaldi.
“The Yamaha R1 this year is a weapon. It feels really good right now,” said Gerloff. “I would say the only thing we could work on is getting more top speed out of the bike, but that seems like something very small because the rest of it feels amazing, like an extension of myself.”