Aprilia’s Eugene Laverty overcame tricky, damp conditions to come away from this World Superbike race weekend with his first pole, and was the only rider who made it on to the podium twice today after coming away with second and third place finishes. The Irishman is content with his performances over the last few days at Silverstone and is pleased that his plan to preserve the tyres paid off.

“Two podiums are good in these conditions, I felt that I had the pace to win in the dry but I am not looking at if’s and put’s because the conditions are what they were and I could have very easily ended up on the deck. So two podiums and I am happy and it is good for the championship,” said Laverty, speaking to bikesportnews.com at the circuit.

“I am glad with how I handled the two races, as in those conditions I am sometimes too much of a pussy and I drop backwards, but at least I didn’t drop off so far back today, as I was able to battle back when it started to dry up again.

“That was my plan to drop back when it was wet and then get on the pace when it was dry, so I could look after the tyres. It almost worked out but I am happy with the podiums.”

Laverty has yet to get over the excitement of claiming his first Tissot watch on Saturday, and now most of his time will be taken up trying it on and having a ‘play around.’

“The watch is sitting beside my chair, I am going to try it on and play with the functions as I don’t know how it works. So I am going to see what it can do, see if it has an alarm or stop watch or knows, it could have anything.

“Next round is at the Nurburgring and I think I can win there. We have reduced the gap in the championship and 36 points is within reach. I just need to get these podiums and race wins, whenever I can get them.”