After less than a week since the last round of the World Superbike Championship in Imola, the Yamaha World Superbike team was back on track today on the warm and sunny French circuit at Magny Cours. This is the penultimate round of the 2011 season and Melandri and Laverty, determined to impress on Sunday, got straight down to business in today’s free practice and first qualifying session.

Eugene Laverty was consistent throughout the day, making minor adjustments to the rear set up on his machine to produce faster laps towards the end and finish the first qualifying session in an impressive second place just 0.012 behind championship leader, Carlos Checa.

Both riders will be making further changes and adjustments to their R1’s in tomorrow morning’s qualifying practice in search of a more ideal race set up ahead of Sunday’s important two races where Melandri will be battling to take the championship title fight to the last round in Portimao, while Laverty will be looking to climb to third place in the classification.

Eugene Laverty
Yamaha World Superbike Team - 2nd, 1′38.664
“It was a really good first qualifying session, finishing second in the time sheets is the highest I have been all year. The closest I have been to this at such an early stage in the weekend was at Monza when we were third, so hopefully that is a good omen. We did two long runs to get a lot of work done on race distance. We are struggling a little with rear grip, having a lot of spinning but we made a step mid-way and again at the end which gave us a clear direction of what we need to do, so hopefully we can continue working towards making further improvements tomorrow. ”

Andrea Dosoli - Yamaha World Superbike Team Manager
“It was a good start to the weekend in Magny Cours. The R1 has been successful here before and it looks like it has potential again. Eugene is demonstrating that he is consistent with race tyre and has also produced fast lap times. The team needs to work on improving the rear grip but they know what to do to be more consistent again tomorrow. Marco spent the day learning the lines of the track as it’s his first time in Magny Cours. He made several mistakes in the morning but improved by the afternoon. He has a good pace but is lacking in the confidence he requires to push hard enough to improve lap times. The team will work hard this evening to improve change of direction which is crucial on this track and try to find a better rear grip set – up. I’m not concerned about Marco’s position, he is only 0.68 of a second behind the leader and there aren’t any particularly difficult sectors for our R1.”

Yamaha WSB riders Eugene Laverty and Marco Melandri fought hard in two difficult races in the hot Italian sunshine today at Imola to gain valuable points ahead of the last two rounds of the season.

In the opening race of the day, Laverty maintained fourth place off the grid before climbing up to third by the fourth lap. The WSB rookie put on a strong battle to fight off advances from Checa and Haga until an error on his behalf on lap six caused him to slip back to fifth place. Following a solid performance Laverty proceeded to the line to take a fifth place finish. A perfect start in race two saw Laverty shoot straight into second place. A chattering issue at the early stages of the race caused the Northern Irish rider to fall back as far as seventh. Mid race Laverty made a small adjustment to the engine brake setting enabling him to improve his race pace and gradually fight through the pack ahead to complete the second race of the day in an impressive fourth position.

Yamaha World Superbike Team riders will be back on track in Magny Cours next Sunday. Melandri heads to the French track in second place in the standings on 320 points 97 behind championship leader Carlos Checa which makes him the only rider theoretically standing in the Spaniard’s way to obtain the title. Team-mate Laverty remains in fourth place on 256 points, 25 short of Biaggi in third place. With a 124 point advantage the Yamaha World Superbike Team cannot be exceeded by any other team for the top place in the official 2011 Team standings.

Eugene Laverty
Yamaha World Superbike Team - 5th, 4th
“I was disappointed with the results in the first race. The bike was working quite well but I made a stupid mistake that caused me to go wide and then I lost out on the chance to fight for the podium. I got a good start in race two but suffering from a chattering problem I found it tough to keep fighting. Mid way I adjusted a button on the handle bar which altered the engine braking allowing me to improve lap times. With the less than perfect set up and the hotter track temperatures, I am really satisfied with my fourth place finish.”

Andrea Dosoli - Yamaha World Superbike Team Manager
“As we had expected, this is a tough track for our R1 and we can see that from today’s results. Eugene did well in both races. He worked very hard all weekend and made great progress especially if you take into consideration that he was in 18th place on Friday. He had a good race pace in both races but unfortunately Checa, Haga and Rea were a notch faster than him. We are pleased with his progress and his performance. Marco had a difficult first race, lacking in confidence on entering curves and struggling with the rear set up. In the second race he had a faster race pace and a better set up but starting from the third row on the grid didn’t help him. A mistake on his behalf caused him to go wide and fall back a few places but after as the petrol tank gradually got lighter he was much faster and did really well to complete in sixth place. We are aware that our R1 struggles on this track but we also know what needs to be improved for the future. ”

2011 World Superbike Italy
Imola 25/09/2011
race I
1 Jonathan Rea Honda GBR 38′03.396
2 Noriyuki Haga Aprilia JPN 0′00.111
3 Carlos Checa Ducati ESP 0′09.449
4 Tom Sykes Kawasaki GBR 0′09.792
5 Eugene Laverty Yamaha GBR 0′14.699
6 Sylvain Guintoli Ducati FRA 0′16.820
7 Jakub Smrz Ducati CZE 0′24.227
8 Marco Melandri Yamaha ITA 0′24.935
9 Ayrton Badovini BMW ITA 0′25.224
10 Joan Lascorz Kawasaki ESP 0′25.487
11 Mark Aitchison Kawasaki AUS 0′26.148
12 Troy Corser BMW AUS 0′26.444
13 Federico Sandi Aprilia ITA 0′29.761
14 Alessandro Polita Ducati ITA 0′30.083
15 Leon Camier Aprilia GBR 0′34.862
race II
1 Carlos Checa Ducati ESP 38′04.538
2 Noriyuki Haga Aprilia JPN 0′04.631
3 Leon Camier Aprilia GBR 0′15.159
4 Eugene Laverty Yamaha GBR 0′17.195
5 Leon Haslam BMW GBR 0′17.388
6 Marco Melandri Yamaha ITA 0′18.533
7 Sylvain Guintoli Ducati FRA 0′19.615
8 Joan Lascorz Kawasaki ESP 0′20.063
9 Mark Aitchison Kawasaki AUS 0′24.194
10 Ayrton Badovini BMW ITA 0′28.485
11 Ruben Xaus Honda ESP 0′28.600
12 Federico Sandi Aprilia ITA 0′41.802
13 Maxime Berger Ducati FRA 0′54.750
14 Javier Fores BMW ESP 1′12.281

Best Lap
Noriyuki Haga Aprilia JPN 1′47.960

World Superbike World Standing
Rider Standings After Race 11 of 13
1. Carlos Checa Ducati ESP 417
2. Marco Melandri Yamaha ITA 320
3. Max Biaggi Aprilia ITA 281
4. Eugene Laverty Yamaha GBR 256
5. Leon Haslam BMW GBR 187
6. Leon Camier Aprilia GBR 171
7. Sylvain Guintoli Ducati FRA 158
8. Noriyuki Haga Aprilia JPN 155
9. Ayrton Badovini BMW ITA 147
10. Michel Fabrizio Suzuki ITA 141
11. Jonathan Rea Honda GBR 138
12. Tom Sykes Kawasaki GBR 127
13. Joan Lascorz Kawasaki ESP 125
14. Jakub Smrz Ducati CZE 118
15. Troy Corser BMW AUS 71
16. Ruben Xaus Honda ESP 49

Eugene Laverty and Marco Melandri fought hard in a challenging Superpole knockout this afternoon at the historic Italian circuit at Imola to qualify in fifth and 9th places on tomorrow’s race grid.

Eugene Laverty began the first Superpole session on a set of race tyres but with three minutes to go switched to qualifiers to produce a flying lap, clocking in an impressive 1’47.756, taking him to the fastest slot. The Northern Irish rider completed the tough second heat, which saw nine riders finish within three tenths of a second apart, in fifth place. Despite having already used both qualifiers, Laverty managed to better his lap time in the third and final session to maintain fifth place and a second row start on tomorrow’s grid.

Team-mate Melandri started Superpole well, making it through the first session in ninth place using a race tyre before switching to the qualifiers for the second heat. Unfortunately the Italian rider’s lap time was not sufficient to guarantee a place in the top eight so Melandri was forced to go back out with just 3 minutes left on the clock on the last set of qualifying tyres. Struggling with a chattering issue, the Romagnolo was unable to better his lap time and was bumped to ninth place, missing out on qualifying for the final session of the day by just 0.007 of a second. As a result Melandri will start from third row on the grid for tomorrow’s two races at his home circuit.

This morning’s second qualifying session was successful for both Yamaha World Superbike riders with Melandri and Laverty improving on yesterday’s qualifying times to complete the session in seventh and 11th places. Laverty made some adjustments to the weight distribution on his R1 in order to improve feeling with the rear of his machine. Despite losing some time in the last sector of the track, Melandri managed to complete the session with a good consistent race pace.

Eugene Laverty
Yamaha World Superbike Team - 5th, 1′47.929
“It was a much better day today than yesterday which is obvious from my position. Initially I wasn’t sure where I’d be today but I was confident it would go much better after our lengthy de-brief last night, where I understood the direction we needed to go in to make the difference. I am fortunate to be in a team with such good experience. The issue I had yesterday was new brand new for me, I never had that sensation on the bike before, and it’s nice that we were able to turn things around so quickly. I’ll be fighting for the podium tomorrow but it’ll be tough.”

Andrea Dosoli - Yamaha World Superbike Team Manager
“We knew the track at Imola wasn’t going to be easy for us and the Superpole results confirm this, even if there is an evident improvement from yesterday’s performance. Both riders have a good race pace but it’ll be crucial to get off to a good start. It’s a pity that Marco couldn’t make the most of either qualifiers to get a better result and missed out on Superpole three by just 0.007 of a second. Eugene was impressive, managing to improve yesterday’s time by a second. The team worked very hard and made good progress. Both riders have some fine tuning to do tomorrow in order to be more competitive and improve on the last sector of the track where they are losing precious time.”

2011 World Superbike Italy
Imola 24/09/2011
1 Carlos Checa Ducati ESP 1′47.196
2 Jonathan Rea Honda GBR 1′47.274
3 Noriyuki Haga Aprilia JPN 1′48.210
4 Tom Sykes Kawasaki GBR 1′47.468
5 Eugene Laverty Yamaha GBR 1′47.929
6 Leon Haslam BMW GBR 1′48.081
7 Ayrton Badovini BMW ITA 1′48.234
8 Sylvain Guintoli Ducati FRA 1′48.416
9 Marco Melandri Yamaha ITA 1′47.781
10 Leon Camier Aprilia GBR 1′47.858
11 Michel Fabrizio Suzuki ITA 1′48.126
12 Maxime Berger Ducati FRA 1′48.334
13 Jakub Smrz Ducati CZE 1′48.741
14 Federico Sandi Aprilia ITA 1′48.812
15 Troy Corser BMW AUS 1′48.894

Yamaha World Superbike Team riders Marco Melandri and Eugene Laverty completed the first qualifying day at the iconic International Autodrome of Enzo and Dino Ferrari in Imola today in scorching hot sunshine.

Eugene Laverty completed a less successful first day on the Italian circuit. Having spent the morning’s free practice session working through some minor changes to the base set up, the WSB Rookie was confident to continue making progress in the afternoon’s qualifying session. As the day progressed and the rubber on the newly surfaced track increased, Laverty struggled with a lack of grip on the rear of his machine, preventing him from improving his times. The Northern Irish rider completed the day in 18th place.

Eugene Laverty
Yamaha World Superbike Team - 18th, 1′49.991
“That was the toughest Friday I’ve had so far, by a long shot. We struggled with the new surface a lot. The morning wasn’t so bad but with more bikes lapping the track as the day went on, creating more rubber on the surface, the grip got worse and that’s causing us to struggle with our rear setting. We know what to do to improve the issue but we ran out of time in today’s session and got caught out. We have a lot of work ahead of us for tomorrow but we’ll do our best. It’s my learning year in Superbike and sometimes these things happen unfortunately.”

Andrea Dosoli - Yamaha World Superbike Team Manager
“It was a positive start for Marco today here at Imola. To complete the session in fifth place after 12 years since he last rode here is pretty good. He has put good consistent laps but is still struggling with the last sector. Our main target for tomorrow is to improve in this area, make some adjustments to the gearbox in order to find better feeling with the front of the machine and improve grip on the rear. We are not satisfied with Eugene’s times this afternoon. We expected him to improve form the morning’s free practice. He and the team will have to work very hard this evening to understand why he struggled so much in the qualifying session. He too will be making adjustments to gearbox and making some changes to the set up to find a better overall feeling on his machine.”

2011 World Superbike Italy
Imola 23/09/2011
1 Jonathan Rea Honda GBR 1′48.241
2 Carlos Checa Ducati ESP 1′48.400
3 Leon Haslam BMW GBR 1′48.701
4 Michel Fabrizio Suzuki ITA 1′48.726
5 Marco Melandri Yamaha ITA 1′48.844
6 Tom Sykes Kawasaki GBR 1′48.884
7 Sylvain Guintoli Ducati FRA 1′49.003
8 Maxime Berger Ducati FRA 1′49.023
9 Noriyuki Haga Aprilia JPN 1′49.041
10 Jakub Smrz Ducati CZE 1′49.072
11 Federico Sandi Aprilia ITA 1′49.125
12 Alessandro Polita Ducati ITA 1′49.134
13 Leon Camier Aprilia GBR 1′49.282
14 Ayrton Badovini BMW ITA 1′49.394
15 Mark Aitchison Kawasaki AUS 1′49.665
18 Eugene Laverty Yamaha GBR 1′49.991

The Yamaha World Superbike Team are back on track this weekend at the iconic “Autodromo Enzo and Dino Ferrari” in Imola, for the third Italian race of the 2011 season. This marks the tenth and third last round of calendar and is the third “home race” for Marco Melandri and the Yamaha World Superbike Team.

Fresh from two very successful days testing in Misano last week, where Melandri was the fastest rider to lap the track throughout the two days, the Italian will be looking to pocket a home victory. Despite being a local track, Imola is yet another unfamiliar circuit for the Romagnolo. From the results so far this year it is clearly evident that new tracks are not an obstacle for Melandri, determined to shine on his home turf, backed by the numerous Italian spectators. Laverty on the other hand has unfinished business in Imola and intends making up for the lack of results last year, having fallen from his machine on the last lap in the World Supersport race, while in third place.

As the season showdown begins, this round is crucial as it could be the title decider, with points leader Carlos Checa holding a 74 point advantage on Melandri, with just 150 points up for grabs in the remaining three rounds. Melandri sets out for Imola aiming for victory in order to keep the Championship title within reach. Team-mate Laverty heads to Imola in fourth place in the standings, just 49 points behind 2010 champion Max Biaggi and with his sights firmly on an obtainable third place.

Eugene Laverty
Yamaha World Superbike Team
“Fresh from the positive tests we just completed in Misano, I’ll be heading to Imola on a high note, which is nice. I struggled with the track a lot two years ago but I feel that last year I cracked it, even though I was unfortunate and came off at the end. I’m curious to try the track with the Superbike machine but it’s so powerful I’m pretty sure it’ll feel like an entirely different track. I’m looking forward to the weekend. It could be very interesting as it could also be the title decider. Checa will be stronger than ever to claim the championship, but I think the Yamahas will also put on a strong fight.”

Andrea Dosoli - Yamaha World Superbike Team Manager
“Imola is the first of three rounds which will take place in just four weeks, an intense four weeks for the team and riders, where the championship title will be decided on. We are confident we can be competitive in Imola and that both riders can express their talent and capabilities on the historic track, making the most of the progress made during the recent tests in Misano. Even if it has been more than ten years since Marco has ridden the track, he will give it 100% and be highly competitive in front of his numerous local fans as Imola is infact just a few km from his Ravenna.”

Circuit Length:
4959
Lap Record:
1′48.877
(Carlos Checa, 01/01/2010)
Fastest Lap Ever:
1′47.735
(Michel Fabrizio, 27/09/2009)
Last Years Winner:
Carlos Checa

Most people want to know my plans for next year but I’m afraid to say I still don’t have any news on that front. I’m playing the waiting game but I’ve a feeling that things will begin to move very quickly over the next few days. The problem us riders find ourselves in approaching the off-season is the lack of job vacancies. Year on year teams are dropping out yet the same number of riders remain so there are not enough seats to cater for us all, much like the game musical chairs!

Race day at Nurburgring was a massive disappointment. We’d worked hard all weekend and during practice I was the only rider with a similar pace to Carlos Checa. In Silverstone Carlos had that little edge on us but at Nurburgring we’d stepped up and going into race day we were confident we had the pace to match him. Unfortunately we suffered a chassis problem during race one which prevented me from pushing forward and so I dropped back to finish a poor 4th position having started 2nd on the grid. As frustrated as I was I focussed all my energy on race two as we switched to our number two bike. We were sat on the grid ready to go and the heavens opened and at that moment I realised I wasn’t going to get the chance to showcase my pace around a dry Nurburgring circuit.

Considering the conditions I felt 5th position wasn’t a bad effort in race two but I was fuming with the organisers for allowing the race to continue. The race started under heavy rain which was fine until the monsoon weather struck on lap 3. At this point I urged race control to stop the race by waving as I passed the start and finish line on numerous laps. Many people have made the ignoramus suggestion that I could have pulled in if I felt the conditions were too dangerous but that’s not part of a winner’s mentality. A true racer will never pull in and give away valuable championship points, that’s just not in our nature. At Misano this year I remounted in race two and by the end of the race two litres of oil had escaped from my engine. I was well aware of the dangers as the oil poured over my left foot but I was sat in 13th position and all I could think of was gaining three valuable points. I couldn’t bring myself to retire from the race knowing that I’d give those up and so I continued to fight to the end. My point is this- the choice should not be that of the rider or team, it is up to race control to decide when conditions have become unrideable. Race control failed us riders on that Sunday afternoon and put our lives at risk which is unforgivable. Fortunately no one paid the ultimate price during race two but that may not be the case next time around.

Since Misano I’ve spent quite a bit of time in Italy. I stayed with Leon Haslam prior to our test at Misano and sampled a spot of wakeboarding. It’s definitely a sport I could get in to but, much like with my golf, I’ve got a long way to go! The Misano test was a massive success for us as we were able to dial out the problems we suffered at that style of circuit earlier in the season. On the way to Imola Pippa and I stopped off in London to watch the movie premiere of ‘Fastest’. It was a good movie but for me it focussed too much on the heroism of Rossi. For one, the way in which Casey Stoner manhandles and dances on a bike would have been a superb insight for racing fans and non-racing public alike. That’s a big advantage MotoGP has over F1 and if portrayed correctly can be awe-inspiring. That’s only my opinion though!

Speaking of opinions Julian Ryder made quite an uneducated comment on stage after the movie had finished. Regarding my MotoGP hopes he asked, “What MotoGP team manager would want to sign a guy who’s being beaten week in, week out by three MotoGP rejects?” It was a very poor assessment of the World Superbike Championship by someone trapped inside the GP bubble. When I spoke to him afterwards I used the example of the great Valentino Rossi’s season. Rossi’s getting his ass kicked on a bike that was capable of winning races last year and at last weekend’s Aragon GP he was beaten fair and square by MotoGP rookie Cal Crutchlow. A rider’s eligibility cannot solely be judged on race results alone and as a journalist who has been around for some time now Julian ought to know better.

By the time I stop by again I should know my plans for 2012 and I sure hope it doesn’t involve the dole office!

Eugene

Yamaha World Superbike riders Marco Melandri and Eugene Laverty have just completed two very successful days testing their R1 machinery, in ideal weather conditions, at the Misano Adriatico circuit on Italy’s Adriatic Riviera.

The team enjoyed good weather, sunshine with an air temperature of 31 degrees and a track temperature of 44 for the two days testing with rain appearing briefly this afternoon but only disrupting track time by less than 30 minutes. The 12th round of the World Superbike championship will take place close by in Imola, just next week, in what should be similarly warm conditions.With just three stop offs left on the 2011 calendar, the Yamaha WSB team made sure to make the most of the two days testing, Marco Melandri completing 172 laps while Eugene Laverty put in a total of 190, as final preparation work before the season close down. Yamaha World Superbike Team riders also got the chance to get to grips yesterday with the new tyres Pirelli have prepared for the final phase of the championship and gather important data for the development of new 2012 tyre compounds.

Melandri and Laverty worked their way through a variety of different settings over the two days, making adjustments and advances to the chassis, electronics, engine brake and geometry of their R1 machinery. Improvements were immediately evident, allowing the Yamaha WSB riders to then proceed to improve on fast lap times but also to work on their race pace and successfully complete a series of consistently fast laps on race tyres. Marco Melandri wrapped up the two days testing in Misano after setting the fastest time. The Italian lapped the track in a time of 1’35.8, an impressive eight tenths of a second faster than June’s race record lap (1′36.520) set by Carlos Checa, the current championship points leader. Team-mate Laverty was also on the pace, completing the two days just two tenths of a second behind Melandri, setting the second fastest time of 1’36.0.
With the successful work completed over the two days in Misano, The Yamaha World Superbike Team will head to Imola next weekend, confident of having the competitive package required to put on a strong battle for victory and keep the championship title within reach.

Eugene Laverty
Yamaha World Superbike Team
“We got a lot of work done over the last two days testing. It’s possibly the best test we have done so far this season. The first day we worked mainly with Pirelli on trying solutions for next year which should be useful. In the remainder of yesterday and then again today we tried a variety of different settings and gathered plenty of useful data. We discovered some interesting things about the geometry of the bike which should help me improve my turning and will be a benefit to me in the last three rounds of this season. We definitely mad a big step in the right direction and I’m quite pleased with the two days overall.”

Andrea Dosoli - Yamaha World Superbike Team Manager

“We were back on track in Misano, three months after the race, a race which didn’t go particularly well for us with either Marco or Eugene. There was a wide time gap behind Carlos and Max and we just weren’t fast enough. This time in Misano we immediately tried different chassis set ups on both bikes which provided positive results allowing both riders to put in faster laps. On day one we spent the morning getting reacquainted with the track before then moving on to working through some new tyre compounds with Pirelli and providing them with important data they’ll use to develop suitable tyres for the coming rounds and in particular for next year. Today we worked our way through various different front and rear set-ups making changes to the chassis, the electronics and geometry of the machine, improving on overall performance and allowing both riders to improve on fast lap times but also on race pace and consistency. We are coming away from Misano pleased with the work carried out and confident ahead of next weekend’s race in Imola.”

Yamaha World Superbike riders encountered a challenging and eventful race day at the Nurburgring today as the dramatic second race was performed in treacherous conditions on extremely wet asphalt.

Melandri and Laverty completed the first race of the day, held on a dry track, in second and fourth places respectively. The opening laps of the race saw the two Yamaha WSB riders interchange their third and fourth positions on several occasions. An error on Laverty’s behalf at the “Warsteiner bend” on lap 6 caused him to go wide, allowing Melandri to take possession of third place, before closing in on Haga and climbing to second. Two laps later on the same corner Melandri made a similar mistake, causing him to fall back to fourth place and preventing him from battling for the victory. The Italian put his head down and battled it out with Laverty and then Haga to re- claim second place by the 16th lap. Determined, he fought hard to keep his Japanese competitor at bay before crossing the finish line and claiming a spectacular second place on the podium.

The second race of the day was held in treacherous conditions. A difficult start from front row on the grid saw Melandri fall back to seventh place while team-mate Laverty sat in fourth. As heavy rain drenched the German circuit rendering poor visibility and an extreme lack of grip, six riders; Fabrizio, Toseland, Aitchison, Camier, Tamada and finally race leader Haga, crashed out of contention. The Yamaha World Superbike riders prudently completed a race that seemed like a battle to remain standing. Despite the adverse track, the race was not red flagged until the 14th lap. Eugene Laverty successfully reached the finish line in fifth place with his team-mate close behind in sixth.

Marco Melandri leaves the Nurburgring having jumped up to second place on the championship standings with 302 points, 74 behind Checa in the lead and holding a 21 point advantage over Biaggi, who was unable to race today due to injury. Laverty has maintained his fourth position with a total of 232 points. With this weekend’s impressive results, Yamaha are still second in the Manufacurer’s standings having further extended the gap from third place by 15 points and the Yamaha World Superbike Team have confirmed the lead in the Team standings and hold a 99 point advantage.

Eugene Laverty
Yamaha World Superbike Team - 4th, 5th
“I was unfortunate in race one because my pace was good all weekend. I didn’t have as good a feeling on the bike as I had yesterday and the low track temperature didn’t’ help to improve the grip on the rear tyre. The second race was treacherous and on safety grounds I think it should have been stopped. I got the impression there was oil on the track after Rea came off his bike and re-joined so everyone was crashing out. We did well that all the riders are coming away without major injuries but I’m upset that we had to risk so much.”

Andrea Dosoli - Yamaha World Superbike Team Manager

“Marco did really well on this track which he was unfamiliar with before now. He achieved an important podium but it’s a shame that an error on lap 8 prevented him from battling with Carlos for the victory, a target which he could have reached. Eugene was also on top form even if he could not display his full potential in the race. He did not have the same feeling with the bike that he had yesterday. The second race was dramatic. The riders completed 14 laps over the limits of security. From the 11th lap onwards the weather got worse and as a consequence it was even riskier for the riders. I’m relieved that both riders managed the dangerous situation so well without getting injured and gained important points for the championship. For the future we need to find a way to avoid these risks for the rider’s safety. I am satisfied to be leaving Nurburgring in second place in both the riders and manufacturers standings and have further increased our advantage in the team standings.”

Yamaha World Superbike riders, Eugene Laverty and Marco Melandri delivered impressive performances today to secure two front row starts ahead of tomorrow’s races on the demanding German circuit at the Nurburgring. The Yamaha riders were on top form, being the strongest team performers throughout the qualifying day, confirming the current leading status for Yamaha on the WSB Team standing.

Laverty and Melandri completed the afternoon’s knockout Superpole sessions in second and fourth place respectively. Both Yamaha riders sailed through the first Superpole, comfortably qualifying for the second heat of the day with Laverty in second place and his team-mate in fifth having recorded an impressive high speed of 282.7 km/h. The Yamaha riders were on equally impressive form in the second heat with Laverty shooting straight into the lead while his Italian team-mate was just behind in second place before Checa stole the top position by just 0.016. Using the last set of qualifiers Laverty and Melandri proceeded to complete the third and final session in second and fourth place, guaranteeing a front row start for tomorrow’s races. As the typically wet German weather is forecast to make a come-back tomorrow, the Yamaha WSB riders are confident they can make the most of the front row advantage to get ahead of their competitors in what could prove to be a challenging race.

Splendid sunshine over the Eifel mountains this morning provided a picturesque setting for the Yamaha riders to work through various potential race set-ups on their R1 machines. Eugene Laverty was quick off the mark in this morning’s second qualifying session, storming straight to the top of the time sheets, a position he maintained until the very end of the session before being bumped to second by Carlos Checa on the last lap. Team-mate Melandri concentrated on further improving from yesterday’s progress in search of a suitable race set up and qualified for the Superpole heats in 6th place.

Eugene Laverty - Yamaha World Superbike Team, 2nd - 1′54.512
“I’m very satisfied with today’s result. I usually spend the few sessions working on chassis set ups but this weekend I had a good feeling from the beginning and was up there in the time sheets since yesterday, so that’s a great start for me and hopefully I can keep it up tomorrow. Carlos was that bit stronger today and he’ll be the guy to catch in tomorrow’s races. It won’t be easy but I’ll give it my best shot. It’s important to be starting on the front row especially considering we don’t know what to expect with the weather. As we can see, also with Marco’s front row position, the Yamaha is working well once again on this track so I’m confident we can do two good races tomorrow. I’m aiming for two podiums finishes!”

Andrea Dosoli - Yamaha World Superbike Team Manager
“Today was a very positive second qualifying day. To have both riders starting from the front row tomorrow is very important. Marco, Eugene and their teams worked hard throughout the day. In Eugene’s case, they worked on improving the bike handling in order to be able to make up time he was losing in certain areas of the track. Marco gained more confidence in the afternoon’s free practice. He has made progress since yesterday and we are confident ahead of tomorrow’s races.If the weather forecast is true and it rains tomorrow it will definitely change everything so it’s important that the riders can take advantage of being on the front row.”

For those who missed BBC NI News feature on John Laverty last night here is the link.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/northern_ireland/14731802.stm