Works Yamaha rider Eugene Laverty can steal third place in the World Superbike standings from reigning champion Max Biaggi this weekend if he can score 26 points or more from the 50 available.

The Irishman is 25 points behind Biaggi but the Roman Emperor isn't riding this weekend due to the broken metatarsal he sustained at the Nurburgring which has put him out of the last two rounds.

"At the end of the 2010 season I tested the R1 and was the fastest rider on track, so I know the bike works well there. We knew Imola wasn’t a suitable style of circuit for our machine and we had a tough weekend there but managed to come away with solid race results, which I am pleased with. I’ll be aiming for better results in Magny Cours and hope for a race win or two," said Laverty.