Eugene Laverty enjoyed one of the most amazing days of his racing career two weekends ago, when he scored his first podium, his first win and his first double win just four races into his WSBK career at Monza for the locally-based Yamaha World Superbike team. We caught up with the 24 year-old Irishman for a chat as he gets ready to head overseas for the upcoming round at Miller Motorsports Park in the USA.
Sunday at Monza was a very special day for you. How did it feel when you finally went to bed that night?
“It really hadn’t sank in. I know that’s a much overused expression but it was genuinely the case for me. I sat in my motorhome with my girlfriend Pippa and a few friends and watched the races back over a cup of tea. After watching the final lap of race two I was absolutely buzzing so I put an episode of Irish sitcom ‘Father Ted’ on TV to try and wind down before bed! The following evening I realised why the whole experience had seemed so bizarre. I remembered that I’d had a dream on Thursday night that I’d won both races at Monza so in a way I’d already went through all the emotions.”
You and your teammate, Marco Melandri, came to the team from very different career paths. How much information do you share?
“Both sides of the garage share information, that’s the key to our success this season. We made big steps forward in the first few rounds because Marco and I offered similar feedback and so the direction was clear. We may have had different career paths but at the end of the day a great rider will figure out the fastest way around the track on any given bike. I was immediately fast on the R1 the first time I rode it at Magny-Cours as was Marco on his first outing at Valencia so this proves that the gap between street bikes and race bikes is much smaller than it’s ever been.”
Do you feel any pressure trying to live up the very high standards set by the team’s previous rookies, Ben Spies (in the photo, with Laverty) and Cal Crutchlow?
“My situation is rather different to Ben’s and Cal’s. Both riders had ridden superbikes for a few seasons in domestic championships and so they were expected to be immediately quick. The team have put absolutely no pressure on me to perform as this season has been cited as a learning year. Naturally that view will shift somewhat after our fantastic double victory at Monza but there will be times when we’re reminded that this is my first season on a superbike. Just look at Donington for example; I struggled there due to my lack of superbike experience. I’ve only just completed my fourth round in the World Superbike Championship though so I’d rather not get ahead of myself!”
The crowd in Monza was hostile towards the podium finishers because of Max Biaggi’s penalty. What was your feeling about their reaction and do you think the punishment was justified?
“This has been talked about a lot following Monza but it’s as simple as this: Over the past few seasons the rules have been the same for cutting the chicanes at Monza. The punishment may not fit the crime for such a small mistake but we’ve all been aware of the severity of this and so we’ve made very sure to obey the rules. Max did not obey the rules and he paid the price. I overshot one of the chicanes in race two but I made sure to reenter the track correctly so as not to suffer this fate. I didn’t feel that the crowd was hostile to be honest. I’ve no doubt that there was tension in the air between the rivalling Italian riders’ fans but they gave me a warm welcome on the podium as well as in the paddock afterwards.”
What do you like about Miller Motorsports Park, and is it similar to any European tracks?
“Miller Motorsports Park really suits my style, particularly the fast flowing turns which start the lap. For this reason the track reminds me of Assen but really Miller Motorsports Park is quite a unique track. There’s no other track on our calendar that boasts a section like The Attitudes! This left-right-left complex is hard work and it’s important to be pinpoint accurate through here so as not to touch the side of the bike on the high kerbs. I couldn’t have hoped for a better track to follow up my double win at Monza. I’m confident of another podium finish in the U.S. and hopefully I can get myself into the title fight over the next few rounds.”
Source: http://www.zimbio.com/MotoGP/articles/3OGm2IqMDGb/Laverty+looks+ahead+after+epic+Monza+success
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