For the third time in the 2024 season, Remy Gardner will appear on the MotoGP grid as a Yamaha wildcard rider.

Remy Gardner will compete in his third MotoGP event of the 2024 season. The Australian rider will wildcard for Yamaha at the Japanese Grand Prix next weekend.

The World Superbike rider is replacing Cal Crutchlow, the Yamaha Test Rider. At the German Grand Prix Gardner had stood in for the injured Alex Rins, then he replaced Crutchlow at the British Grand Prix.

“I am really excited to race in Japan, it's a country I always enjoyed visiting in Grand Prix racing, but to go to Japan and race for a Japanese manufacturer in MotoGP in front of the Japanese fans will be something special,” Gardner said.

“It is nice that, after Sachsenring and Silverstone, Yamaha have asked me to come back. They clearly feel that I bring something to the development programme, so hopefully we can have a productive weekend in Motegi too.

“It will be a busy period for me with five races in five weeks, but I ride bikes almost every weekend anyway, so it's nothing new for me!”

The Yamaha Factory Racing Test Team Leader, Kazutoshi Seki, has emphasised that bike development is their main goal at Motegi rather than a good result for Gardner.

"Bike development is at the heart of Yamaha's every move this year," Seki said. "The engineers are working very hard, and I am fully convinced that this wild-card entry will accelerate Yamaha's endeavours to develop prototype parts and increase bike performance.

“Remy Gardner has already successfully tested protype items for the M1 on two occasions earlier this year, so his prior experience makes him a logical choice in Cal Crutchlow's absence due to injury.”