Garrett Gerloff’s recent WorldSBK form reached a new peak at Aragon, with the American rider finishing on the podium in Race 1, beating reigning champion Alvaro Bautista, and taking two𝄹 top-five finishes on Sunday.

Gerloff was anticipꦿating a return to the 🦋rostrum once more on Sunday, but the top three riders — Bautista, Toprak Razgatlioglu, and Nicolo Bulega — took a step forward, the American said.

“I was really happy with the pace that I had,” Gerloff told WorldSBK.com. “I didn’t realise how fast they were going up at the front, whi𒅌ch was even faster.

“I waℱs happy to be doing 1:48s on the race tyre and, in general, I felt like I had a really good bike underneath me.

“I had a cou🌠ple of issues pop up but nothing major. I g🔯ave it all I had so I can be happy.”

After a podium finish and three top fives in Aragon, Ge▨rloff declared the round as “probably the best weekend I’ve had in a really long time. That’s something super positive.

“I’m a bit disappointed as I thought I’d have a bit more pace in Race 2 to be able 🌞to stay in third. As soon as I got to third, I just, for some reason, lacked a bit of pace.

“Props to🎐 Nicolo [Bulega] and also Alvaro [Bautista] and Toprak [Razgatli🐼oglu]. They had super-fast pace.”

Gerloff had battled with Race 1 winner Andrea Iannone for fourth in the closing stag🐎es of Race 2, but missed o♛ut with a late mistake.

“I did everything that I could, I made a lunge on [Andrea] Iannone on the last 🌠lap,” he said. “I missed the shift so that didn’t help me at all! I was pushing the front but couldn’t stop.

“All in all, to be top five all weekend except for Superpole was𝔍 pretty good.”

The Aragon Round was a cont🦩inuation of strong form for Gerloff that goes back to Magny-Cours, where he was on the podium in Ra꧋ce 2.

“I think everything just stayed pretty consistent in the last few weekends,” Gerloff r🍷eflected.

“We haven’t been chasing our tail, we’ve been in a similar ballpark of setting and electronics. It’s been easier for me to push a bit closer to the limit and 🍸not feel like I’m riding over the limit. That’s been something nice.

“That’s all I really need, for the bike to be 🔴predictable, and I can try to ride 🌺a bit beyond it.

“I’ve felt ๊pretty good all y𝕴ear on the bike, riding, I just haven’t had any lap time. For whatever reason, it’s been sorted out in the last few weekends, and it’s just come together.

“It’s late, w🌞hich is annoying, but I’ve known I’ve got pace as a rider, I’ve got a good team and a good bike.”