Yamaha World Superbike Team riders Eugene Laverty and Marco Melandri were on top form at Silverstone today claiming an impressive double podium a head in the warm British sunshine. Laverty and Melandri completed two solid races in second and third places respectively at the historic track where the Yamaha R1 has proved it’s strength yet again.

In race one, Eugene Laverty shot off his second place on the grid to immediately take the lead, a position he proceeded to hold until the last turn of the sixth lap when he surrendered to the championship leader, Checa. The 25 year old World Superbike rookie pushed hard, holding off advances from Hopkins and Camier behind to complete the first race of this home round in second place, in front of an enthusiastic crowd. Fellow Teammate Marco Melandri was on equally impressive form, moving up to fifth place off the grid. A strong battle with Hopkins and Camier mid race saw the Italian interchange positions with his adversaries on several occasions. Melandri was tailing Camier and preparing to make his move when the Brit was forced to prematurely retire due to engine failure with just three laps to go. The Italian then proceeded to complete the race in third place, joining his Yamaha World Superbike teammate on the podium.

Laverty and Melandri proved to be just as determined and consistent in race two, which was almost a replica of the first race of the day. Laverty performed flawlessly, holding the lead until the sixth lap before finally powering his YZF-R1 to the chequered flag in second place while his teammate followed close behind to claim the third spot on the second podium of the day. From a perfect second row start off the grid, Melandri shot up to fourth place. The Italian, bottled necked in traffic was caused to fall back to fifth and then sixth place before regaining fourth by lap 10. While holding off advances from Biaggi, Melandri proceeded to battle his way up to third place.

Following today’s incredible performance and four podiums, Yamaha is now holding second place in the Manufacturers standings. Melandri leaves Silverstone with 272 points and sitting in third place in the standings, having succeeded in closing the gap to Biaggi in second place, to just 9 points and 71 points short of Checa in the lead. Laverty is sitting in a solid fourth place on 158 points, 64 behind his teammate and 50 ahead of Haslam in fifth. With four rounds left to go and eight races, there are still a total of 200 points up for graps.

Eugene Laverty - Yamaha World Superbike Team - 2nd, 2nd
“Yes I’m happy with the 40 points today. Not a victory but two second places are quite good. In race one Carlos went by me and pushed on but I had some limits with the bike so I couldn’t really catch up. In the end, second place was more than enough. In race two I really wanted to push for a victory, especially to cheer up my brother John in hospital, but I’m sure he’s happy with my results. I had a better second race, I changed the tyre and there was an improvement. In the later part of the race I tried to move my body position on the bike and began to close in on Carlos, but when I did, he reacted. He had the edge on us today so he would have been extremely difficult to beat”.

Andrea Dosoli - Yamaha World Superbike Team Manager
“Two great races today! Four podiums in an event is an amazing result. Eugene did a fantastic job, at his home round in front of his many fans. He managed both races perfectly, with two great starts off the grid, sitting in the lead before Checa overtook him, then following him to the flag. Great job! Marco got a good start from his second row on the grid but got held up with Hopkins and lost precious seconds trying to get away from his adversaries, especially in the second race. Well done to both sides of the garage, they worked really hard yet again. We highlighted once again the strength of the R1, which has taken Yamaha into the second place in the manufacturer’s standings and consolidated the lead in the 2011 Team standings.”

Yamaha World Superbike Team riders Eugene Laverty and Marco Melandri impressed on the British track at Silverstone today, completing the afternoon’s Superpole qualifying heats in second and sixth places respectively. Northern Irishman Laverty, was flawless, being one of the fastest riders in the pack throughout the three sessions, earning himself a front row position on the grid for Sunday’s two home races. Melandri was enjoying a much better day than yesterday having clearly improved his set up, resulting in better grip. The Italian managed to knock over a second off his lap times from yesterday’s first qualifying session which led him to qualify for today’s Superpole in fifth place.

The afternoon’s Superpole sessions were held on a warm track and under pleasant sunshine. Laverty and Melandri, the two Yamaha World Superbike rookies used a set of race tyres to see them comfortably through the first heat in first and sixth places. Laverty was equally impressive in the second heat which he completed in third place. Teammate Melandri was sitting in eighth position before deciding to use a qualifier in the attempt of producing a flying lap. The Italian was unable to improve his time but still held position to qualify for the third and final heat of the day. Laverty was spectacular once again in the final heat immediately producing a fast lap, beating the previous fastest lap ever recorded by Crutchlow in 2010, also powered by a Yamaha R1. World Superbike wildcard, John Hopkins proceeded to better this lap time by just 0.027 seconds and set the new fastest lap record. Melandri, having used all his qualifiers in the first two sessions, couldn’t improve on his time but held on for sixth place and a second row start on tomorrow’s grid.

Eugene Laverty - Yamaha World Superbike Team - 2nd, 2′04.068
“It was a great qualifying day, it was very close between me and John Hopkins. I’m really happy with the last superpole session, I did a perfect lap and was sure I was in pole position but John was a little faster, so he deserved it. I’m happy with second and a front row start for tomorrow’s races. I think it should be a good race day and the four of us on the front row will be very strong. Yamaha really suits this circuit, Cal won last year and I was also very strong, so it’s looking pretty good. Hopefully I can repeat Monza. I’m really looking forward to the races.”

Andrea Dosoli - Yamaha World Superbike Team Manager
“I’m very satisfied with both riders and their teams today. They improved on their performance since yesterday, not just on a fast lap but also with the race set up. Marco knocked over a second from yesterday’s lap time in the second qualifying session. There is still some fine tuning to be done in order to be 100% for tomorrow’s races. Unfortunately he had some difficulty with the qualifiers and didn’t get to improve his lap time much and had to settle for sixth place. Second row start certainly won’t prevent him from getting good results. Eugene was on top form in Superpole, delivering an impressive lap time, improving on Cal’s fastest lap from last year. He demonstrated to be a very mature rider, coping well under pressure at his home round and deserves two good races in front of his numerous fans. His race pace is fast and consistent so I expect both riders to be in the top pack leading the races tomorrow.”

Yamaha World Superbike riders got busy this afternoon with a cook off in the team hospitality where they learned some tricks of the trade with Jamie Oliver’s Ministry of Food.

Marco Melandri and Eugene Laverty tested their culinary skills in front of a panel of Journalists that took on the difficult role of judges for the occasion. Melandri opted for a traditional “tuna pasta” dish while Laverty’s adventurous side surfaced as he turned his hand to a lightly spicy “salmon tikka and cucumber yoghurt served on Indian naan bread”. With great concentration and precision the Yamaha riders proceeded to follow the help and instructions provided by Jamie Oliver’s team of professional staff to turn out two scrumptious main dishes before joining forces for the making of a “summer berry pavlova” to conclude. After some initial indecision, the expert judges chose Laverty as the official winner of the first prize of the weekend, at his home round in Silverstone. Eugene was presented with a signed Jamie Oliver cook book from which he will undoubtedly find inspiration, in the kitchen.

Jamie Oliver’s Ministry of food was set up almost three years ago on the 17th August with the aim of encouraging people to get cooking, ditch ready meals and takeaways in favour of fresh, home-cooked food which saves them money as well as being better nutritionally. The Yamaha WSB riders proved today that anyone can cook up delicious dishes as long as they have the basic knowledge and know how. The inspirational cook-up demonstrated that the riders can russle up some of their favourite meals without compromising on the necessary nutrition they require to follow a healthy diet.
Both Melandri and Laverty revealed their hidden talent this afternoon and proved that healthy cooking can be fun and easy!

Tomorrow in the first practice and qualifying sessions, both riders will get back to what they know best, using their R1 machinery as the tool to secure a good start for Sunday’s races. Both riders will be aiming for victory this weekend and to get a step closer to the leading position in the championship standings.

Eugene Laverty - Yamaha World Superbike Team
“I really enjoyed the cook-off! The salmon tikka is a dish I’ll certainly be doing again. I wanted to learn how to cook more fish dishes and hopefully with my new found inspiration I’ll experiment new recipes at home. I came away a winner, so hopefully this winning streak will keep up for the weekend. I intend to carry on where I left off today, so who knows… maybe I can do a triple!”

Things were put into perspective ten days ago when my brother John had a huge crash during Friday practice for the Oulton Park round of the British Superbike Championship. I’d felt quite disappointed following two 5th place finishes at Brno a few days earlier but when I heard the list of John’s injuries I began to realise that finishing top five in a world championship race isn’t something to gripe about. What makes it worse was the fact that something happened out of John’s control so he’s laid up in a hospital bed with career-threatening injuries due to no fault of his own. John’s been very professional following the crash but I don’t think I’d be fit to bite my tongue quite so well if I was in his position!

My family are very fortunate that a friend from back home gave us the use of their son’s student home nearby the hospital so we owe a big thank you to Patrick Graham and his family. I was in hospital with John yesterday and again he was diagnosed with yet another fracture. Never in all the years of being John’s brother did I know the strength of character that he possesses, his courage and positive attitude throughout the whole ordeal has been nothing short of admirable. John’s mechanic Kim made an incredibly kind gesture by buying him an iPad2 but John hasn’t had the chance to watch any movies yet as his entire day is taken up as the docs put him through his paces. He’s all but immobilised as his pelvis, both legs and shoulders are smashed up but he’s still working on keeping some core strength intact! John has a tough few months ahead of him but he really appreciates all he support he’s received from fans since the accident. He’ll be forever grateful to the BSB medical crew as if it wasn’t for them he may well have lost both arms so a big thank you to those guys.

I managed to sneak in a trip to the French Alpes with my brother Michael and Chaz Davies to watch a few stages of the Tour de France. We couldn’t have picked a better year as it proved to be one of the greatest Tours of all time. I was supporting Ireland’s Nicholas Roche who put in some great efforts particular on the Col de Galibier. Those guys are incredible athletes and it was a great experience to be able to cycle a few of the climbs just a couple of hours before them. I’d like to return again next year but it all depends on whether my racing calendar allows it.

I didn’t achieve the greatest of results at Brno so my goal is to get back on the podium this weekend at Silverstone. It’s my second bite at the cherry following a disastrous home round at Donington earlier in the year. I’m currently lying 4th in the championship but I’ve been off the pace of Checa, Biaggi and Melandri lately so I want to be mixing it with those guys from here on in. It’s time to take it up a notch!

Eugene

Check out how we got the Giant Laverty IPhone.

http://www.madeinhollywood.ie/blog/a-perfect-mix/

What does professional motorcycle riding and cookery have in common? Well … everything. Everyone has to eat! And if it’s true what they say; “you are what you eat”, then healthy eating must be the vital ingredient in success. In motorcycle racing winning is everything! But how many of the well-known successful motorcycle riders know how to russle up something nutritional (and tasty) in the kitchen, without biting into their busy training schedule? Well Yamaha are going to put their two World Superbike riders; Eugene Laverty and Marco Melandri, to the test and YOU can be the judge of their hidden talents.

The next stop off on the 2011World Superbike Championship calendar is Silverstone - U.K , weekend of the 29th – 31st July and we have invited Jamie Oliver’s Ministry of Food to come along and pass on some of the tricks of the trade to create a nutritional, fast and above all tasty menu ahead of a hectic race weekend.

Jamie Oliver has campaigned for many years to improve food in both schools and the home and in 2008, Jamie set up the Ministry of Food Centre to encourage people to get cooking from scratch again. The Ministry, whose first Centre opened in Rotherham following the Channel 4 TV series, ‘Jamie’s Ministry of Food’, proves that anyone can learn to cook, so long as they have the basic knowledge. Ministry of Food classes are fun and have so far inspired hundreds of local people to ditch ready meals and takeaways in favour of fresh, home-cooked food which saves them money as well as being better nutritionally.

Can Jamie’s team of experts provide the vital ingredients to back Yamaha’s Eugene Laverty and Marco Melandri on their battle to the championship title? Come along, taste and decide for yourself!

Eugene Laverty

Yamaha World Superbike Team rider
“I am really looking forward to the cook-off with Jamie’s Ministry of Food. Jamie is an excellent chef and a few of his cooking tips certainly won’t go astray in my kitchen! Nutrition is obviously very important for everyone but for us riders it’s vital! All our hard work training prior to race weekends would be a complete waste without a healthy diet and if we want to be on top form on race day, we have to know how to eat properly. So the cook-off with Jamie’s team should be fun but I’m pretty sure it’ll also be an education!”

When: Thursday 28th July at 4pm
Where: Yamaha World Superbike Team hospitality - paddock area of the Silverstone race track
Contact: Una Conway - una.conway@yamaha-motor.it for details and to confirm interest.

The Brno circuit was host to nail-biting races today under blistering sunshine, as the three championship leaders battled for podium positions in the two World Superbike races. Marco Melandri provided a masterful display of race craft in both races to claim his third victory of the season in race one and settling for second on the podium in a hard fought second race of the day.

In race one the two Yamaha World Superbike riders, Eugene Laverty and Marco Melandri, stormed off the grid to take second and third place respectively. Melandri passed his team-mate to claim second place on lap two and tucked neatly behind Biaggi where he remained for a further six laps, while Checa moved in to take third place. On lap 9, Melandri pushed into the lead and proceeded to hold off constant advances from the fellow Italian, only temporarily rendering position on the 17th lap before powering his R1 to the chequered flag, claiming his third victory of the 2011 season. Team-mate Laverty got off to a perfect start off the grid to tuck into second place. Struggling to gain speed on the straights, the Irishman gradually fell back to fifth place by lap four. Fighting hard to keep the pace, Laverty maintained position and completed the race in fifth.

Race two was almost a replica of race one. Yet again, Melandri closely tailed Biaggi for the first nine laps before pushing ahead into first place. After just two laps, a persistent Biaggi took repossession of the lead. Melandri continued to perform impeccably, constantly on the attack and interchanging positions on several occasions, before settling for second place after a hard fought battle to the finish line. Similar to race one, Laverty was unable to gain sufficient speed to attack the leading bunch. The Irishman put his head down to take fifth place at the flag. Melandri produced the fastest lap times of both race one and race two recording 2’00.118 and 2’00.058 and registering the highest speed of the day reaching an impressive 292.7 km/h in race two on a track temperature of 54 degrees.

Eugene Laverty
Yamaha World Superbike Team - 5th, 5th
“Today wasn’t the best day for me, I had hoped to do much better. I had to settle for two fifth places when I could have done more. I was struggling with power, and getting up straight line speed. I was on the same pace as the top riders but losing time on straights even though I was riding to the limit. Considering the circumstances, the result wasn’t too bad. We need to pull out the data and investigate to understand where we can improve and be stronger for Silverstone.”

Andrea Dosoli
Yamaha World Superbike Team Manager
“It was a perfect conclusion to the weekend in Brno for Marco. He was fantastic in both races. Obviously it’s a pity he didn’t win the second race but considering the extreme track conditions and the fact that Marco and Max were fast and consistent throughout, we can safely say they provided great entertainment for the spectators. We reduced the gap to Checa by 13 points. That’s important and if we can continue like this it will be a very interesting championship. Eugene got two very good starts in both races. There are a few things we can still improve on his bike and we’ll continue to work on this. He proved to be constantly learning and we have to remember that he is still fourth in the classification and the top three riders have years of Moto GP experience behind them. He is performing fantastically for his rookie year.”

1. Max Biaggi ITA Aprilia Alitalia Racing RSV-4 40mins 21.646s
2. Marco Melandri ITA Yamaha WSBK YZF R1 +0.222s
3. Carlos Checa ESP Althea Ducati 1098R +3.558s
4. Michel Fabrizio ITA Suzuki Alstare GSX-R1000 +7.863s
5. Eugene Laverty IRL Yamaha WSBK YZF R1 +8.534s
6. Ayrton Badovini ITA BMW Italia S1000RR +18.085s
7. Leon Haslam GBR BMW Motorrad S1000RR +21.650s
8. Joan Lascorz ESP Kawasaki Racing ZX-10R +21.862s
9. Sylvain Guintoli FRA Effenbert Liberty Ducati 1098R +25.306
10. Noriyuki Haga JPN PATA Aprilia RSV-4 +27.366s
11. Roberto Rolfo ITA Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R +33.716s
12. Mark Aitchison AUS Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R +36.549s
13. Lorenzo Lanzi ITA BMW Italia S1000RR +37.468s
14. Tom Sykes GBR Kawasaki RTS ZX-10R +46.878s
15. Viktor Kispataki HUN Prop-Tech Honda CBR1000RR +1min 38.074s

Not Classified

16. Maxime Berger FRA Supersonic Ducati 1098R 15 laps completed
17. Leon Camier GBR Aprilia Alitalia Racing RSV-4 14 laps completed
18. Jakub Smrz CZE Effenbert Liberty Ducati 1098R 12 laps completed
19. Matteo Baiocco ITA Barni Ducati 1098R 9 laps completed
20. Alex Lowes GBR Castrol Honda CBR1000RR 5 laps completed

DNS Chris Vermeulen AUS Kawasaki Racing ZX-10R
DNS Ruben Xaus ESP Castrol Honda CBR1000RR

Yamaha World Superbike Team riders Marco Melandri and Eugene Laverty delivered impressive performances in sweltering sunshine in Brno today to secure two front row positions on tomorrow’s starting grid.

Melandri kept his cool on the hot track to comfortably complete Superpole one in first place on a race tyre while team-mate Laverty, qualified for the second session in ninth place. Both riders switched to qualifiers for the Second Superpole to complete the heat with Laverty in second place and Melandri in fourth before being bumped down a position in the dying seconds and consequently finishing up third and sixth. The final heat saw the Yamaha World superbike riders immediately produce a flying lap to secure two front row positions on the starting grid of the historical Brno Automotodrom. Melandri will start tomorrow’s two races from second place, while Laverty is in fourth. The Italian also registered the top speed in all three Superpole sessions todays, reaching an impressive high of 295.9 Km/h on his Yamaha R1 machine

This morning’s second qualifying session saw Melandri completing a series of laps, focusing on tyre wear ahead of tomorrow’s races with the hope the threatened rain storms hold off. Team-mate Laverty tried some new changes to his bike’s chassis set-up. Failing to improve on yesterday’s performance, the Irishman returned to the original base set-up and completed the afternoon’s free Practice session topping the time sheets for the first time in his World Superbike rookie year.

Eugene Laverty - Yamaha World Superbike Team - 4th, 1′59.055
“This morning we tried something which didn’t work very well, so we had to take a step backwards. In the free practice session we made progress in the right direction and I topped the times for the first time this year, which I am quite pleased with. Superpole went smoothly. All I wanted was a front row for two good races tomorrow so that’s what I’m hoping for. A good starting place on the grid is very important in order to be in a position to fight for a win. That’s what I’m aiming for, but I’d be happy with a podium!”

Andrea Dosoli - Yamaha World Superbike Team Manager
“A front row start for both riders shows how the teams have worked hard and Marco and Eugene are both very competitive. They were fast on the qualifiers but also on the race tyres and this is important. Marco improved the chassis set up and the gearbox this morning while Eugene made progress on the front end. The times he put in during the free practice prove how strong he can be tomorrow. We expect very different weather conditions tomorrow so it will be difficult for everyone to choose the suitable tyres. I am confident that we can be strong no matter what the weather is like.”

1. Max Biaggi ITA Aprilia Alitalia Racing RSV-4 1min 58.580s
2. Marco Melandri ITA Yamaha WSBK YZF R1 1min 58.801s
3. Carlos Checa ESP Althea Ducati 1098R 1min 58.908s
4. Eugene Laverty IRL Yamaha WSBK YZF R1 1min 59.055s
5. Jakub Smrz CZE Effenbert Liberty Ducati 1098R 1min 59.541s
6. Michel Fabrizio ITA Alstare Suzuki GSX-R1000 1min 59.908s
7. Leon Camier GBR Aprilia Alitalia Racing RSV-4 1min 59.925s
8. Tom Sykes GBR Kawasaki RTS ZX-10R 2mins 00.303s

9. Ayrton Badovini ITA BMW Italia S1000RR 1min 59.684s
10. Sylvain Guintoli FRA Effenbert Liberty Ducati 1098R 1min 59.800s
11. Mark Aitchison AUS Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R 2mins 00.362s
12. Maxime Berger FRA Supersonic Ducati 1098R 2mins 01.011s

13. Leon Haslam GBR BMW Motorrad S1000RR 2mins 00.252s
14. Noriyuki Haga JPN PATA Aprilia RSV-4 2mins 00.374s
15. Lorenzo Lanzi ITA BMW Italia S1000RR 2mins 00.619s
16. Matteo Baiocco ITA Barni Ducati 1098R 2mins 00.864s

Yamaha World Superbike riders Marco Melandri and Eugene Laverty successfully completed the first qualifying session in Brno today, finishing up in third and fourth place respectively. While weather conditions were unpredictable with spatters of rain present in the early parts of the afternoon’s first qualifying, both riders recorded fast and consistent times as the session progressed.

Both Yamaha riders got straight down to business this morning working on Chassis set up ahead of Sunday’s race day. Laverty struggled with an issue on turning his machine and completed the morning’s free practice session in tenth place. Team-mate Melandri, satisfied with the direction he was going in search of a suitable race set up, took third place in the morning’s session.

Both riders head into tomorrow’s second qualifying session intent on fine tuning the race set up on their machines and working on tyre choice for Sunday’s races, taking into consideration the high possibility of rain and thunderstorms threatened for the remainder of the weekend.
Eugene Laverty - Yamaha World Superbike Team - 4th, 1′59.906
“I’m pretty content with the day. This afternoon went much better than this morning’s free practice. I was off the pace this morning but improved in the first qualifying and the bike was turning really well on the side which was an issue earlier in the day. We still need to improve the front end of the bike but I’m confident we can do that. Tomorrow we’ll also work on tyre duration and race pace. At the moment I am where I want to be for a Friday so I’m satisfied.”

Andrea Dosoli - Yamaha World Superbike Team Manager
“Today was definitely a good start to the weekend for both riders. Marco and Eugene proved to be consistent and have a good rhythm. After working on and improving the bike’s chassis set up and change of direction earlier in the morning, the riders proceeded to work on tyre choice which will be vital especially seen as the temperature of the asphalt is quite low and they suffer more than we expected. We still need to see where we can fine tune to recuperate the three and five tenths of a second off the lead time. Both riders need to work on the front end of the bike to ensure better feeling on entering the flowing chicanes, especially in areas where the asphalt is not as smooth as it used to be with bumps clearly present.”

1 Carlos Checa Ducati ESP 1′59.322
2 Jakub Smrz Ducati CZE 1′59.585
3 Marco Melandri Yamaha ITA 1′59.653
4 Eugene Laverty Yamaha GBR 1′59.906
5 Max Biaggi Aprilia ITA 1′59.940
6 Tom Sykes Kawasaki GBR 2′00.154
7 Leon Haslam BMW GBR 2′00.164
8 Michel Fabrizio Suzuki ITA 2′00.196
9 Sylvain Guintoli Ducati FRA 2′00.310
10 Ayrton Badovini BMW ITA 2′00.348