Gerloff eager to bounce back after Phillip Island concussion
American rookie Garrett Gerloff opens up about his WorldSBK debut, which was thwarted by an incident that ruled him out of the Superpole race and Race 2.
Texan rookie Garrett Gerloff endured a rather testing debut in WorldSBK at Phillip Island Grand Prix, as he missed the Superpole Race and Race 2 due to a concussion suffered in an incident with German rider Sandro Cortese.
GRT Yamaha’s Gerloff had impressed with his charge in Race 1, as he climbed up to 7th before he started struggling with the tyres. The American had to settle with 14th at the end of the race, belting two points as a result of an overall respectable performance.
Gerloff certainly deserved a notable mention after the Australian round, despite being thwarted by an unfortunate collision. In an interview released on WorldSBK.com, he opened up about his first SBK race: “I felt like I learned a tonne on Saturday and I was really looking forward to getting another opportunity to race with those guys, learn something new and improve my position. That was one of my aims.”
In spite of the uncertainty clouding the resumption of the WorldSBK season, the rookie has a sweet recovery to look back to while eagerly waiting to hit the track again. What we learnt from the season opener Down Under is that the Yankee is endowed with a strong fighting spirit, as he stood out in close on-track battles even before landing in WorldSBK. The intra-team battle with Italian rookie Federico Caricasulo may ignite a compelling rivalry, as both riders have had the chance to show off their skills from the get-go at Phillip Island. In fact, the Ravenna-born athlete crossed the line in 12th in Race 1, producing a satisfying result for GRT Yamaha's first performance of the year.
