Voltcom Suzuki’s Eugene Laverty had to run a race tyre in the final Superpole session at Phillip Island after Pirelli’s qualifying tyre caused too much chatter in the big GSX-R1000.

Leon Camier, who Laverty replaced in the squad, suffered the same problem last season and Laverty decided to cut his losses and continue on a soft race tyre instead of trying to find a solution in a short space of time.

“Second row! It’s not quite the front, but we did our lap-time on a race tyre so to be right there at the head of the second row without a qualifier is definitely confidence inspiring. The qualifier just didn’t work for us; we had some vibration causing us to lose the ability to flow. Race setting was good so the aim now is to try for a good start, stay with the Aprilias and fight for a podium in the first race of the season,” said the Irishman.