Tyco BMW’s Michael Laverty bagged this ninth career MCE British Superbike victory in the opening race at Silverstone, but he was unable to get back on to the podium in the final outing of the day due to some confusion relating to his radiator cap on his S1000RR.
The Wales-based rider slowed down whilst in second place in race-two as he thought the water on his visor was rain, but it was in fact a slight water leak from his radiator cap. But soon Laverty realised that it was in fact dry out on track and started to fight his way up the pack. He eventually crossed the line in sixth behind Honda Racing’s Jason O’Halloran and JG Speedfit Kawasaki’s Leon Haslam.
But taking the win in the opening race of the season was the perfect start to the year for the Northern Irishman and he is now second in the overall championship standings. He has praised his team for the ‘perfect strategy’ and was able to take maximum points in race-one this afternoon - and whatever the team did certainly worked as he led from halfway through the first lap, right to the end.
“It is difficult to ride at the front and I was concentrating on being as smooth as I could and the toughest thing was mid race my hands were a bit numb as it was so cold out there,” Laverty, at the track.
“I couldn’t break as comfortable as I wanted, so I was losing a bit of time in a few areas and then I pushed on but the grip was not too fantastic at the end - but it was good enough to push it home. It is a great way to start the season and we have worked hard over the winter on our pace and race distance, and we haven’t really panicked too much about a one off lap.
“But I was leading at the end of the first lap and then in the last lap so it was a perfect strategy by the Tyco BMW team and credit to them for all the work they have done. Winning the first race of the series feels really nice.”
