BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team | Eugene Laverty
The BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team has been off the tracks for five months and now it is readier than ever to make its return. After the season-opener at the end of February on Phillip Island, Australia, the outbreak of Covid-19 has forced the championship to a halt. Now, the FIM Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK) will be resuming and the next stop will be Jerez.
Round two of the season will be taking place at Jerez de la Frontera in Spain this weekend. After that, riders Tom Sykes and Eugene Laverty will be travelling straight to Portimão, Portugal for the third race next weekend.
Photo credits: BMW Motorrad
“It is absolutely fantastic that finally, the time has arrived after this very difficult period. We did some testing but racing is racing. So, I am really happy to head into the doubleheader, straight into things, at Jerez and Portimão. The characteristics of these tracks are really quite different. Jerez is pretty flowing and then Portimão up and down really considered a rollercoaster of a track. So, we have certainly exciting but for sure also hot venues approaching.”
“The target going into the weekend is to work on the bike set-up to ensure we have a good package on the BMW S 1000 RR for the warm conditions and go from there. The goal is always so to achieve the maximum that we can as a team during the race weekend and to get the results that we can achieve together. I am really looking forward to getting back to racing. A big thanks go to the organisers and all involved to manage to organise that calendar during this very difficult period.”
“Following on from a successful two-day test with the BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team earlier this month, I’m very excited about the upcoming races at Jerez and Portimão. The air temperature is going to be above 30°C making the asphalt quite slippery and smooth throttle control will be key. I’ve won races previously at Jerez and Portimão. So, I have fond memories of them both. The Portimão circuit is just fifteen minutes from where I live in Portugal so that will make it that bit more special for me. The five months’ pause from racing due to Covid-19 has given me a chance to re-energize. I’m very eager to get going again. A few months ago I really didn’t believe that we would return to racing at all in 2020. So, compliments to Dorna for managing to get us back on track so swiftly.”