Voltcom Suzuki World Superbike star Eugene Laverty will make his MotoGP debut for the manufacturer at a Phillip Island Bridgestone tyre test when he will share three days’ riding with Randy De Puniet at the Australian circuit.
The Irishman will first travel to Okinawa in Japan for a day’s shakedown before travelling Down Under. It will be going into the country’s winter so it is a strange time for a test but Laverty is looking forward to it nonetheless.
“I will fly to Japan on the Thursday after Donington for a shakedown and then across to Phillip Island for a day and a half before Randy does the second day and a half,” said Laverty, speaking to bikesportnews.com at the Imola WSBK test.
“To be honest, if my stint ends about five to one, I will get a new set of tyres and a full fuel tank, and see if they can get me off the bike, I might get my brother to stand around the back with a can to top up the fuel!
“It’s a good place to try the bike at Phillip Island as I know my way around there and I know what we should be doing, but I also know it’s going to be cold.
“The test is an addition of sorts. Jonathan Rea had his addition with Honda but it wasn’t a fair one because he had one GP where the Friday was cancelled. You just just have to do your best and see about the laptimes. There’s no talk yet of a wildcard as we don’t know what we can do yet.”
