Pull&Bear Ducati’s Eugene Laverty has set his sights on a top-ten finish at the end of this year’s MotoGP world championship before he returns to World Superbikes with Milwaukee Aprilia in 2017.
The Monegasque believes he has now got his head completely around how the Desmosedici GP14.2 works after testing well at the Red Bull Ring and, save for the nerfing at the hands of Danilo Petrucci, has gained momentum which saw a sixth-pace finish at Brno.
And in the rain, Laverty believes the Ducati excels, so would not be upset should it be pissing down with rain on Sunday morning at Silverstone.
“We really needed that test at the Red Bull Ring because of what happened pre-season. Now I really understand the bike and what makes it work. So that’s why we’re starting to gather some momentum now,” Laverty told bikesportnews.com
“I think Austria was the strongest weekend of the year. We made it in Q2 and we were on course for I think an eighth, possibly even a seventh, until we had that problem in the race.
“So really I think I can be calm and not get frustrated and realise, I’ve got to finish this year off as strong as possible and that sometimes is better for your mindset, rather than getting frustrated and still fighting for a job. Austria proved that and today [in Brno] we were strong again. I want to make getting in the Q2 more of a habit, because it took too damn long for that to happen.
“It would be nice to finish in the top ten in the championship. We have to try and get strong finishes in these last seven races now. Some more top tens might see us there.”
Laverty placed a frustrating 17th in a soaking wet 2015 race at Silverstone, but that encounter did little to reflect the pace shown over the weekend in the dry. Unlike Honda’s ‘Open’ racer, the Ducati GP14.2 is formidable in wet conditions. As Laverty’s excellent sixth in Brno demonstrated, similar conditions this year round would not be unwelcome.
“The race last year was a disaster. We really struggled in the wet all of last year. It’s the complete opposite this year. This bike works really well. Sometimes the rain levels the playing field.
“If it does rain this time on Sunday I know this Ducati is really strong in the wet. Last year, I was hoping it would have stayed dry. If it rains on Sunday at Silverstone I’ll be up for it and definitely giving it a little bit extra.”
