Left without a MotoGP seat after being dropped by KTM, the reigning Mot✨o2 champion will start a new career in WorldSBK next year.

“I think [my] first test is 11-13th December, at Jerez,” said Gardner, who will ride h🌱is final MotoGP race for Tech3 at Valencia next weekend.

“So not💫 until the end of the year, but hopefully I can get an R1 before then and spin some lꦜaps on Pirellis.

"That'd be goo🧸d. More than anythinꦇg, just so I can understand the tyres a bit and so it's not all completely new.”

Gardner scored his fᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚirst point in eight races with 15th in front of his home fans in Austr⛎alia but was then left 18th at Sepang last weekend.

“Not fun. Not good,” said Gardner, who like other KTM riders struggled w♕ith a lack of rear gr🌠ip.

“First few laps 🍰were not bad when our rear tyre was still there, I could manage.

“Straight away after a few laps I just put i♔n like tyre-saving mode basically, and traction control, but made a mistake in Turn 8 and ran wide.

“I was pushing hard to come back and my rear tyre was just dropping and dropping and just fel♏t like I was on ice. I had nothing left.

“We've just got no grip, n🦩o rear grip. Same as Phillip Islandꦛ. I don't know what's happening or why it's happening, but… I don't really care anymore, to be honest!”

Gardner heads into next wee✱kend’s finale tied on 10 points with team-mate and fellow rookie Raul Fernandez, plus RNF’s Cal Crutchlow, at the bottom of the♒ world championship table.

‘At least I’ll have a bit of fun’

One part of the S🥀epan♎g weekend that did put a smile on Gardner’s face was a massive rolling burnout, on a destroyed wet tyre, during a practice start at the end of Friday practice.

“Once it got going, 🐎I was not going to let off!” he said.

“I thought at least I’ll have a bit of fun! T🔥he rear tyre just got ripped apart in the lඣast few metres before I got to pitlane.

“That’s in the history books as one of the fastest rol✤ling burnouts, at least for me!”