Laverty disappointed with pace, pleased with a point

Mugello was a bittersweet race for Eugene Laverty. The Irishman was disappointed to have finished ten seconds adrift of Loris Baz in the Open class but pleased to come away with 15th place and another points finish.

“My two toughest weekends of the year have brought my two point scoring finishes,” said Laverty. “It’s a strange feeling because I’m disappointed. Yet they’ve been my best results. It’s hard to be happy when I’m ten seconds from where I need to be really. In a positive way we’re starting to get some points.”

Laverty had a crash on Saturday and after having falls at Jerez and Le Mans it was crucial to get through the race cleanly so at least he has now been able to get some more data and understand his bike more. When asked what the biggest issue has been with the bike Laverty said that his biggest problem has been getting the bike to flow in fast corners. Under heavy braking he feels that he is strong now and he can hustle the bike through corners but in faster sections he is struggling

“We’re starting to get the bike balanced better. Argentina was my strongest round of the year and that’s the kind of track where I can be strong, when I can push the front really hard and then exit hard. The areas where the bike needs to ride itself and be more fluid my bike doesn’t work. I need to charge into the corner to make the front work and attack and this track isn’t about attacking. It’s about flowing and joining up the dots.

“At the moment we’re still too rear biased which makes it tough to ride. So it’s great for when I try to brake hard and charge into corners but not for the others. Also at the end of the race when the bike became difficult and starts to move the other thing I’ve been requesting – the swingarm – can help. Definitely with the other the tyre doesn’t flex so much. That’s why on the exit I couldn’t reach full gas. Everything starts to move so I need some stability there.”