Monza WSB: Laverty does the double

Factory Yamaha rider Eugene Laverty has won both superbikes races at Monza today after Max Biaggi was given a ride through penalty. 

Max Biaggi got a good start and pulled away from the rest of the field, opening up a five second lead before he ran straight on at the end of the front straight with seven laps remaining.

The race organisers gave Biaggi a ride through penalty, which lost the Italian 19 seconds and saw him rejoin the race in 12th. Biaggi finished in eighth.

This pushed Marco Melandri up to first, with Laverty close behind in second, now smelling victory. It took a mistake from Melandri on the final corner of the final lap for Laverty to make his move and get the drive to the line to secure his first World Superbike double.

Laverty was tangled up in an incident at the first corner at the start which saw Jonathan Rea, Leon Haslam and Jakub Smrz crash out. Laverty spent the majority of the race working his way through the field after the incident.

Leon Camier was in second place behind Biaggi and comfortably ahead of third place when he crashed out on lap seven.

Suzuki rider Michel Fabrizio took the final step on the podium after a hard fought battle with former team-mate Noriyuki Haga.

Championship leader Carlos Checa finished tenth after slowing on the final lap. This is the first race weekend of the 2011 season where the Spaniard hasn’t taken a win.

1. Eugene Laverty (Yamaha World Superbike Team) Yamaha YZF R1 31’19.948
2. Marco Melandri (Yamaha World Superbike Team) Yamaha YZF R1 31’20.275
3. Michel Fabrizio (Team Suzuki Alstare) Suzuki GSX-R1000 31’22.414
4. Noriyuki Haga (PATA Racing Team Aprilia) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 31’22.531
5. Troy Corser (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) BMW S1000 RR 31’24.450
6. Ayrton Badovini (BMW Motorrad Italia SBK Team) BMW S1000 RR 31’30.813
7. Sylvain Guintoli (Team Effenbert-Liberty Racing) Ducati 1098R 31’30.986
8. Max Biaggi (Aprilia Alitalia Racing Team) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 31’38.672
9. Joan Lascorz (Kawasaki Racing Team) Kawasaki ZX-10R 31’40.041
10. Carlos Checa (Althea Racing) Ducati 1098R 31’40.324
11. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team Superbike) Kawasaki ZX-10R 31’41.059
12. Ruben Xaus (Castrol Honda) Honda CBR1000RR 31’48.556
13. Roberto Rolfo (Team Pedercini) Kawasaki ZX-10R 31’53.407
14. Mark Aitchison (Team Pedercini) Kawasaki ZX-10R 32’02.758
15. Fabrizio Lai (Echo Sport Racing Company) Honda CBR1000RR 32’15.707
RT. Maxime Berger (Supersonic Racing Team) Ducati 1098R 23’46.643
RT. Leon Camier (Aprilia Alitalia Racing Team) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 12’09.427
RT. Jakub Smrz (Team Effenbert-Liberty Racing) Ducati 1098R 1’43.023
RT. Leon Haslam (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) BMW S1000 RR 
RT. Jonathan Rea (Castrol Honda) Honda CBR1000RR