Gagne rules out 2023 WSBK switch after Portugal wildcard

Gagne and his Attack Performance Yamaha team made the trip across the Atlantic to join the WSBK field in Portugal fresh from wrapping up this year’s MotoAmerica title last month at Barber Motorsports Park.

The Californian rider ended up with a single point to show for his efforts on a challenging weekend as he finished 15th in the final race of the weekend, having placed 19th and 16th in the opening two races.

News of Gagne making a wildcard at Portimao followed speculation in the summer of a possible full-time move to WSBK in 2023.

However, the 29-year-old has now clarified that he will most likely be back in MotoAmerica next season to aim for a third consecutive crown, albeit leaving the door open to another one-off appearance on the world stage.

“We’re on for MotoAmerica next year,” Gagne told the official World Superbike website. “The MotoAmerica series has been doing great and getting better every year, but maybe we can come back and do another wildcard like we did this year. 

“We have a lot more knowledge from what we learned this weekend, we have a little more experience. It would be cool if we could make it back after our season is done in the States and have another crack at it.”

 

Gagne’s Portugal outing marked his first WSBK appearance since 2018, when he rode full-time for the Ten Kate Honda team after being signed to replace his late countryman Nicky Hayden for that season.

He said getting used to the Pirellis used in WSBK again after four seasons of racing with Dunlop tyres in MotoAmerica was the biggest challenge he faced during the Portimao weekend.

“This class is stacked, there are so many fast guys, so we jumped in the deep end a little bit,” said Gagne. “But we made progress every time we hit the track. 

“Knowing what we know now we wish we could rewind and do it all over again. It was a great experience, a lot of fun. I learned a lot, the team learned a lot. 

“For me as a rider, adjusting to the tyres was a big thing for sure, as well as the team and the crew understanding how we can get the most out of the tyres. We can’t just bring our bike from the States that’s set up for Dunlops and throw on the Pirellis. 

“We can be happy about the work that’s been done and we’ll see if we can make it back another time in the future.”