In the latest of his exclusive columns for Crash.net, TAS Suzuki’s Michael Laverty talks about what he has been up to since the end of the season….
Hi guys,
As you all probably know by now I am no longer with Stobart Honda in Superbike, instead I’ve done a deal with Philip Neil to go back to Supersport with the TAS Suzuki team for next year. I’m looking forward to it, I think the Suzuki should be competitive, I mean Tom Sykes finished second in the championship on it. I’m aiming to win the British Championship next year.
It is a very competitive class and it is never going to be easy. I know my younger brother Eugene, Crutchlow, Camier, Riba and Sykes have all moved on to greener pastures for next season, but I’ve heard Stuart Easton is coming in and Ian Hutchinson has signed for Honda so there are still going to be quite a few rivals. There is always going to be someone cropping up in there that will give you a hard time but I think I’ll be starting as one of the favourites. I’m looking forward to it. I’ve had a few years in Supersport before. I came close to winning the championship the year that Karl Harris won it. I definitely think I can put in a good championship season and that is what matters, to win the championship for Suzuki and then move onto Superbike the year after.
Superbike is still my goal but next year I’d like to try and fit in a couple of World Supersport races and if that goes good maybe we will look at going World Supersport the year after. I feel I have a lot of unfinished business in Superbike, things didn’t go according to plan this year, and they actually went better during my rookie season in Superbike. I know I can ride a Superbike well it is just that I need to get it a bit more suited to me. It is definitely something I’d like to go back to in 2008 but at the minute my main focus is getting adapted back into riding a Supersport bike and getting used to the Pirelli tyres. There is going to be a bit of relearning to do but I’m up for it.
