Eugene Laverty heads into this weekend's Misano WorldSBK round on a confidence high after 'far exceeding' his expectations at Estoril last time out.

The RC Squadra Corse rider was expecting the Portugese race to be very tough as it historically hasn't been a good place for the BMW but after a top-ten finish, Laverty is keen to get to a track he loves and that the manufacturer has seen some success with a podium in 2019.

“I’m heading to Misano feeling very optimistic. I set modest goals for myself last time out due to the fact that Estoril was the toughest track on the calendar for us last year," said Laverty.

"However, I far exceeded my expectations so my confidence is high going to a track that I really enjoy. The new BMW M 1000 RR has made a huge step forward this year and I’m very thankful for the hard work done by everybody at BMW Motorrad Motorsport during the winter months.

"I have gelled very well with my new team RC Squadra Corse and we’re ready to begin moving up the order. The first two rounds were like pre-season testing for us. I feel that our season begins properly at round three at Misano.”