Garrett Gerloff secured his first points of the new WorldSBK season thanks to a 13th place finish in Race Two at Phillip Island, after what was a sometimes challenging final day of race action at the 4.445km long circuit in Australia.
Gerloff was in the midfield mix at the start of the ten lap Superpole race but soon after he started he was taken out by another rider at the slow T4 corner. Garrett remounted to try and finish the race but a technical issue saw him forced to pull off the circuit to retire.
After the Kawasaki WorldSBK Team’s Ninja ZX-10RR had been prepared for a 20-lap Race Two Gerloff ended lap one in 15th place. He would end up 13th at the chequered flag, winning a tight battle out of the final corner and down the main straight against Michael van der Mark to secure three championship points.
The second and final Sunday race featured a mid-race mandatory tyre change pitstop, which Garrett and his team negotiated without drama or penalty.
Gerloff leaves Australia in 15th place in the championship standings after the opening round of the 12-round 2025 FIM Superbike World Championship. The next race weekend takes place at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve in Portugal, between 28-30 March.
Garrett Gerloff, stated: “Honestly it was a kind of horrible weekend and I feel really bad for the team and everyone. We are all giving our best but sometimes if you just don’t have luck on your side, let’s say, it doesn’t matter how hard you work. It was unfortunate that I had Nagashima crash into me in the Superpole Race and I couldn’t finish. Then, I just had no speed in Race Two. We finished in the points, but far from the win. I am giving everything. Thanks to the team for all their hard work and we will try again next time.”
