Official: Remy Gardner returns to MotoGP with Yamaha

Remy Gardner will return to MotoGP action this weekend in Germany after being officially confirmed as replacing the injured Alex Rins at the factory Monster Yamaha team.

After winning the 2021 Moto2 crown, Gardner spent a tough 2022 campaign in MotoGP with Tech3 KTM, finishing 23rd in the standings.

The Australian then switched to WorldSBK with Yamaha, after losing his RC16 seat to Augusto Fernandez.

"First of all, I hope Alex can have a fast recovery and I wish him the best," Gardner said. 

"I'm really excited about this challenge. I just want to say 'Thank you so much' to Yamaha for trusting me to ride this weekend. I will use it as a great experience to learn.

"It's a new bike, and coming back to MotoGP for one race is always a nice experience, so I'm looking forward to enjoying this weekend, and I'm just extremely happy for this opportunity. Once again a big 'Thank you' to Yamaha."

Rins underwent surgery on his wrist and ankle on Monday evening, following a huge highside at turn 1 of the Dutch MotoGP at Assen. 

"The surgery went well, and I‘m heading home now," said Rins. "Unfortunately I‘ll miss the next GP, but I hope to be back very soon. Despite this bump in the road, our motivation to keep working is higher than ever."

Team director Massimo Meregalli added: "Let me start by saying that the team is relieved that Alex' surgery went well and that the injuries he sustained in the highside are not more serious. We all wish him a speedy recovery, and we hope to welcome him back soon.

"Secondly, we are thankful to Remy Gardner and the GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK team that he can join us at the Sachsenring on such short notice. 

"We are sure that this will be an interesting experience for him, but the team will do everything we can to make him feel welcome and supported throughout this weekend's steep learning curve."

Remy Gardner, son of 1987 500cc world champion Wayne, took his first WorldSBK podium at Assen earlier this season. 

The 26-year-old is seventh in the World Superbike standings, as the second-best R1 rider behind Andrea Locatelli (fifth).

Gardner, Yamaha's only current WorldSBK rider with a prior season of MotoGP experience, finished 15th for Tech3 in the 2022 German MotoGP, having won as a Moto2 rider at Sachsenring in 2021.

Yamaha's factory MotoGP test rider Cal Crutchlow had to pull out of a planned wild-card at Mugello last month due to 'complications' from a 'procedure' to address pain in his right hand.