Tyco BMW’s Michael Laverty is a confident man going into this weekend’s Silverstone MCE British Superbike opening round as he has stuck with the same bike and team from 2015 and has only so far had to make tweaks here and there to get a good base setting.
Even though he has the same machinery beneath him one thing that Laverty wants to change for 2016 is the way he makes it into the Showdown. Last year he made it in by the skin of his teeth and was only confirmed as a top six rider in the final round before the Showdown commenced which was at Oulton Park. Now he wants to dominate the season, and the other riders to make his mark as a real Showdown and title contender, but he knows this will not be easy.
"It is almost a slow run in as we don't get fired up until after June and then once we get into he summer that's when it kicks off. That's my plan to come in with a mind of developing the bike right the way through the season that we will be strong and make it into the Showdown and that is our main goal into the first nine rounds,” Laverty told Bikesport News.
"But do it with a bit of style this time and not dragging our ass in there with the last race of the Showdown - and we want to be competitive right from round one and I think we are in a position to be next week. I am very confident and it has been a good pre-season. I don't spend too much time focusing on my rivals but I have had a bit of an eye on the guys.
"I think Ellison, Haslam and Shakey are always going to be there, and John Hopkins as well as - he has been strong in testing. Also my team-mate Christian Iddon is getting stronger all the time as he is learning the BMW. But I think I would put myself up there too as one of the stronger guys after testing and I am feeling pretty confident that we can deliver the goods."
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