Laverty tops final day of BSB pre-season

Michael Laverty has taken the Tyco BMW machine to top spot on the final day of the 2016 MCE British Superbike pre-season, demoting Shakey Byrne with a final fast lap of Donington just as the chequered flag went out.

Laverty stands to gain from consistency on the S1000RR as many of his rivals switch machinery; something he admitted to afterwards.

“It feels good to end the test fastest as it is a bit of bragging rights before the first round if nothing else. We are in a really good position and my one off lap isn’t my strength at the moment, so to have done the times we have consistently is great as I don’t feel we have maximised the potential at all yet.

“The continuity of staying with the Tyco BMW team for this year has put me in this position and I genuinely feel that we are the strongest out there at the moment, both over short stints and the longer distance. I knew that we would be able to pick up where we left off at the end of last year and we will keep going as we know that everyone else will keep improving too. I definitely have a much better feeling now than I did at the start of last season.”

Byrne was left only 0.044 behind, with Laverty’s fellow Tyco BMW racer Christian Iddon rounding out the theoretical front row.

The BSB season gets underway next weekend at Silverstone, moving from it’s traditional first race at Brands Hatch to the Northamptonshire track.