Aegerter on WorldSBK debut, ‘I want to be best Yamaha’

Dominique Aegerter enjoyed a stellar end to 2022, wrapping up his double WorldSSP title before jumping aboard his new GRT Yamaha Superbike.

With the Swiss rider eager to get to grips with his new machine, even the wet and windy weather at Circuit de Jerez failed to damped his spirits as he completed 47 laps on his WorldSBK debut on Tuesday.

“It’s fantastic what we achieve together,’ Aegerter reflected on his second Supersport title in as many years. “With Ten Kate Racing and Yamaha, all my sponsors, all my family, all my trainers, to help me to achieve this moment.

“I expect last year when we take ten wins it will be really, really difficult to achieve this again and now we are here.

“Super happy with this season,” he continued. “We achieve many, many great results and to be a second time in a row world champion is something very good. We have many, many nice moments but for sure Mandalika, when we get World Champion was super happy. Balda[ssarri] was not in front of me. He crashed. My team showed me the board but I didn’t see because I was in the fight. At the end I finished fourth and I was not sure where finish Balda, so I just was looking back and just when I see my brother and the team manager Kervin [Bos] coming to me on the racetrack and give me the special helmet, I know I’m world champion!”

While 2022 looked to be plain sailing for the Swiss rider, there was a major bump in the road at the final round before the summer break. A race one crash initially saw the 32-year-old declared unfit for Sunday’s action, before his condition was reviewed only for a race ban to be imposed after it became clear he ‘simulated a medical situation’ to bring out the red flag.

“My worst moment, of course was when I crashed out after