through the season I ’ m sat 11th in the Championship with a realistic chance of being top 10 . It ’ s been a huge step up on last year where we only had single-digit points at the season ’ s end . Now we have 63 , so yeah it ’ s been a huge step forward .
You ’ ve been in the top 10 for the majority of the season - the highest rider from an English-speaking nation so far . It must be frustrating that you haven ’ t been given the opportunity to continue in MotoGP on better machinery for 2017 . Does it feel like you didn ’ t get what you deserved ?
Well , it was earlier in the season to be honest . I couldn ’ t believe how early the Factory seats were being signed up - it was the earliest ever . A few seats had disappeared already before the first race and then after rounds two and three the majority of them were gone .
For me at that stage I was only really getting going after missing pre-season testing . I think it was Mugello when the final Factory seat was taken , so that scuppered the plan to try and impress in the first half of the year to earn one of those seats . Unfortunately , it was an unusual year for everyone to get signed so quickly . I was keen to stay in MotoGP had there been a step up in machinery again - I ’ m riding a twoyear-old bike now .
There was only another two-year-old bike available to me for next season , so I had to look at what was the best option on the table - and for me it was a return to World Superbike . I ’ ve always had a policy that I wouldn ’ t ride against a teammate who had superior machinery and that ’ s the way it was going to be at Aspar - so that ’ s when I realised it was time to bow out .
Frustrating to say the least . You have spent two years here in MotoGP - learning , developing , and improving - yet you won ’ t get an opportunity to capitalise on that experience . But overall it will help you with that goal of becoming a World Champion .
You ’ ve now signed a two-year Factory contract with Aprilia ( a Factory you have a great history with ) moving back to World Superbike . Every cloud has a silver lining – are you happy with how it all panned out ?
I am . It ’ s strange in a way , as it ’ s almost like history repeating itself . When I went to 250GP ’ s I spent two really-difficult years there , then when I moved to World Supersport I won my second round in Qatar . It almost seems like GP has been a tough school for me , I came here to ride below-par machinery and I had to find progress from within myself .
“ I ’ ve always had a
policy that I wouldn ’ t ride against a teammate who had superior machinery and that ’ s the way it was going to be at Aspar - so that ’ s when I realised it was time to bow out
EUGENE LAVERTY
It ’ s almost better in that sense as I have really dug deep this last couple of years to really improve myself - whereas in WSBK when I was winning races you are reluctant to change too much during the year . You had to keep with what ’ s working and keep doing what you are doing . In MotoGP I was always adapting , trying to find that little bit extra , so I do feel that history could repeat itself and I could come back to the WSBK paddock an even stronger rider .
Do you know much about the Aprilia machine you will ride next season - has it changed much since you came so close to lifting the title in 2013 on the RSV4 ? Do you expect it to fit like and old glove ?
It ’ s difficult to say , it depends who you speak to . I know that the year after I left they made progress - more in the direction I went during my two years at Aprilia , so a lot of the guys had said I would like what they did with the bike .
Of course the regulations changed after that - in terms of the engine components , what you were and weren ’ t allowed - so it did change the characteristics of the Aprilia slightly . But looking at when they were last Factory supported , they won their final race with Leon Haslam - so the bike is still capable . There will be an update this winter on the engine side . One thing you can always be guaranteed with Aprilia is that you will always have horsepower .
Do you know when you will get your first contact with the Aprilia ?
At the moment we are talking about Jerez in November , so I will race Valencia early-to-mid November and then it will be straight across to the Superbike . It will be nice to get on the bike before the winter break because I will be itching to get going to see what it ’ s capable of . It isn ’ t a long winter for WSBK , Philip Island will be around before we know it . u