Team Go Eleven worked hard to improve the feeling of Eugene Laverty for the two races on Sunday, news of the 2019 World Superbike Championship.
In the warm-up that opened the morning of the last day at Phillip Island, the Go Eleven rider rode with used tyres, to check the race pace in view of a warm second run, with some set-up changes to solve some problems faced in Race 1.
At 12.00 o’clock the Superpole Race was run, a brutal 10-lap race; Eugene went straight to the attack, despite the continuous fight, and kept a pace that allowed him to remain attached to the top positions. After several overtaking moves and a contact at the fast turn 2, Laverty finished ninth, ahead of the Ducati Aruba of the Welsh Chaz Davies.
Race 2 proved a great battle A real Superbike-style race, with continuous fighting and overtakes. Eugene started really well, bringing the V4-R into P6 in the first laps; unfortunately, however, due to the lack of feeling with the front tyre and the constant attacks of the riders behind, from which he had to defend himself, he lost contact with the group of the first 5.
The North Irishman waited in the group, clawing back positions on positions in the last 5 laps, closing the door well on the last lap and finishing ninth, once again in close contact with Chaz Davies and in front of the Honda and the BMW couple. Eugene showed all his character and his class, did not give up a centimetre, saving the tyres and managing the various stages of the race to the best, coming out on the long distance as the champion he is.
Eugene Laverty:
“I am very happy with the progress that we have made this weekend. 9th position in both the Superpole sprint race and race two this afternoon was a great step forward. Thank you to all my guys at Team Go Eleven Ducati for their hard work this week and we have started our season with three solid results. I am confident that this is just the beginning as there is much more performance to come from my beautiful Ducati V4 R.”