Tag Archives: Eugene Laverty

News, WSBK

Satellite BMW WorldSBK squad confirms 2022 two rider line-up

Leave a comment

Bonovo action BMW expand for season 2022

The Bonovo action BMW Racing Team will expand its involvement in 2022 and run two BMW M 1000 RR motorcycles in the series. In the saddle will be two well-known WorldSBK riders: Eugene Laverty (IRL) and Loris Baz (FRA).

35-year-old BMW works rider Laverty has been racing in WorldSBK since 2011 and enters his third season with BMW Motorrad Motorsport in 2022.

Eugene Laverty

“I’m very happy to continue with BMW Motorrad and join the Bonovo action BMW Racing Team for the 2022 World Superbike season. It is fantastic to remain in the BMW WorldSBK family. The past six months have been tough for me as a rider and so I’m very grateful for the continued support and belief from everyone involved in this project. I’m very motivated to repay that faith in my abilities and I feel confident that following a solid winter testing campaign we can arrive ready and competitive at round one.”

Eugene Laverty

Baz also comes with plenty of WorldSBK experience: The 28-year-old Frenchman rode a BMW S 1000 RR in WorldSBK in 2018 and made his Superbike World Championship debut in 2012 and started in the series for three years, before switching to MotoGP from 2015 to 2017. He then returned to WorldSBK. In the 2021 season, Baz has been riding in MotoAmerica but has also impressed on a number of outings in WorldSBK. His WorldSBK record to date: two wins and 20 podiums. Baz will now be a BMW works rider in the 2022 season.

Loris Baz

“I am really happy to be back in WorldSBK so I want to thank BMW and the Bonovo action BMW Racing Team for giving me this opportunity. I think that I have shown during these two rounds in Spain and Portugal that I have the pace to fight at the front in this championship. BMW is the brand that grew the most in the second part of the season. I have closely watched how the bike was improving. I have been racing with BMW before so I know a lot of people there and also, I have been competing with MGM Racing for one race back in 2012. I am really happy and really excited about this opportunity and am looking forward to trying the bike and to starting to work together with the team and BMW. Thanks again to all the people involved in this project.”

Loris Baz

Jonas Folger (GER), who lined up in WorldSBK with the Bonovo MGM Racing team in 2021, will be looking for a new challenge after what has been a difficult season for him. The cooperation in the WorldSBK has been terminated by mutual consent.

Marc Bongers – BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director

“The course is set for a successful second season together for BMW Motorrad Motorsport and the Bonovo action BMW Racing Team in the WorldSBK. The team and we have gained a lot of experience in the first year of our cooperation, and that now forms the basis as we continue to move forward together. The two riders starting for the Bonovo action BMW Racing Team also underline our ambition. We are very pleased that Eugene Laverty remains a part of the BMW works rider family and lines up with us in his third season. Although the 2021 season was not always easy for him, he showed a lot of fight and was very committed to our project. At the same time, we are pleased to have Loris Baz on board. Having spent a season on the BMW S 1000 RR in 2018, he is now part of the BMW works rider family. Loris has more than impressed on his WorldSBK outings this season. We are confident that, with their skill and experience, Eugene and Loris will help move the Bonovo action BMW Racing Team forward. We would like to thank Jonas Folger. It is a shame that his debut season in WorldSBK did not play out as we were all hoping. However, he and the team never gave up and always worked hard. We are very grateful to him for that tireless commitment.”

Jürgen Röder – Team Owner Bonovo action BMW Racing Team

“I am overjoyed that we are heading into the next year as a strong BMW Team and that two top riders like Eugene Laverty and Loris Baz will be in the saddle of the Bonovo action BMW Racing Team bikes. The goal is for the two BMW teams to cooperate even more closely. It is great for us to have two strong riders on board. Particularly Eugene, who has been on the BMW for a few years, is an extremely analytical rider, and provides feedback that can be excellently incorporated in the further development of the bike. He knows all the structures at BMW, and who he needs to contact and when, and is obviously a great addition to the team. I think 28-year-old Loris is a great young rider. We have seen what he is capable of. He has done well in MotoAmerica, has returned to World Superbike and has achieved some very impressive results. It is a real godsend for me to have someone like him in our team. I think we have a real chance of consistently finishing in the top ten with both riders next season. That is obviously a real asset for the whole BMW family. At this point, I would like to thank Dr. Markus Schramm and Marc Bongers again for integrating us so closely in the BMW structure. We will do everything we can to live up to this privilege that has been bestowed upon us. At the same time, I would like to thank Jonas Folger for his commitment. He showed great character when came to me and said that he would not be able to add anything to the team in 2022, and that he would not be taking up my option of continuing together in WorldSBK. I find that incredibly impressive. We still have a very good relationship, and that will remain the case.”

Michael Galinski – Team Manager Bonovo action BMW Racing Team

“We are pleased to be able to take this step together with Jürgen Röder, and are very proud of our two riders. In Eugene Laverty and Loris Baz we have two excellent riders. Loris has started in many classes, such as MotoGP and Superbikes, on many different manufacturers’ bikes, including BMW and Yamaha. He recently showed what he is capable of at the race in Portugal: two third places as a reserve rider is no mean feat. We are very pleased to have him on board. Eugene has been slightly below par this year, as he was unable to ride for a long time. He is a great development rider and will help us to develop the bike together with BMW. All in all, we are now on equal footing with the BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team. They also have two tall riders on the bike, in Michael van der Mark and Scott Redding. Loris, as the third tall guy, will be able to contribute to the development in this regard. Eugene is not quite as tall, but nevertheless we are all moving in the same direction together. We are looking forward to the coming season!”

Source: MCNews.com.au

Motorcycle News, Motorcycle Racing, News, WSBK

At home with Tom Sykes and Eugene Laverty

Leave a comment

BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team riders talk isolation

BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team riders, Tom Sykes and Eugene Laverty are both following ‘Stay at Home’ advice, with racing on hold and the wheels coming to a standstill, but plenty to do on the home front. Sykes, as a father, has now more time to spend with his daughters, while Laverty is pursuing long-held interests, such as music and languages.

BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team rider Tom Sykes

BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team rider Tom Sykes

Tom Sykes

Both riders were already following Stay at Home guidelines, even before it was made obligatory by governments. “It’s a strange time and while the situation is relatively under control in my estimate here in Portugal, my wife Pippa and I have opted to keep ourselves in lockdown out of the principle ‘Stay at Home’,” says Laverty, who lives near the Portimão race track in Portugal.

Sykes adding,  “It’s a difficult time for everybody world-wide in this present time. Everybody is doing their part, trying to get this virus under control. It is best to stay at home at the moment and hope that this passes sooner rather than later.”

Tom Sykes

Usually, WorldSBK riders are on the road a lot. So for family man Sykes, the break brings with it the positive that he can now spend much more time with his two daughters. They are with him at his home in Leamington Spa, England. The three of them are staying in touch with the rest of their close family by phone.

BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team rider Tom Sykes

BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team rider Tom Sykes

Tom Sykes

According to Sykes, in general not a lot has changed for him at the moment, “I’m very fortunate, as since I was young one of my goals was working towards getting myself set up in a nice home. I certainly thank my lucky stars at this time more than ever.” His home has large grounds, allowing the trio to spend plenty of time outside, whilst still staying at home.

“We’ve got a few things set up outside along with a very large trampoline in the garden, which we are using a lot,” says Sykes. “We have been lucky to have great weather here. It has almost been like early summer so we have been playing a lot outside. My two girls love to dance, so I turned on the outside music and set up a little wooden stage for the girls to dance on. It was great value entertainment for me too.”

And when it cools down outside, the play continues inside. “We paint, do crafts, watch movies and indulge in a number of treats. We are able to still be quite normal, with the exception of not going to school at present.” With this in mind, Sykes has taken on a new role of being a teacher for his children and helps with the homework from school for this extended period.

BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team rider Tom Sykes

BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team rider Tom Sykes

Tom Sykes

As well as the garden and the living room, Sykes also spends a lot of time in the kitchen. “I have always been the one to do the cooking anyway, but the chef side in me has come out in force now,” he grins. “I always think of good meal plans in my head for me and my girls because we always eat fresh food but obviously now that luxury is not as simple so my freezer is full as we have come up with a different approach to make the ingredients go further.” Sykes is also in action as a craftsman, carrying out some DIY work around his house.

Eugene Laverty

Meanwhile, Laverty is also far from bored in Portugal. One of the first things he did at home was to take on some 1000-piece jigsaws. The first one is already complete, with more to follow. He has also signed up for an online guitar course.

BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team rider Eugene Laverty

BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team rider Eugene Laverty

Eugene Laverty

“Come the summer we may have to schedule some gigs around World Superbike race weekends. Entry will be free and complimentary ear plugs provided,” he says with a chuckle. Laverty has been learning Portuguese for a long time, but has now upped his daily lessons. “Music and language are two things that I wish I’d done more of as a kid, and now I’m making up for it. They’re great for the mind, too,“ he says.

Together with his wife Pippa, Laverty is taking part in an online first aid course. They are learning what to do, for example, in case of a respiratory arrest, heart attack or haemorrhages, such as cardiopulmonary massage and the recovery position. “They are important basic lessons that can save lives,” Laverty stresses.

BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team rider Eugene Laverty

BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team rider Eugene Laverty

Eugene Laverty

Laverty is also very active on his social media channels and is coming up with things for his fans. These include his podcast, which he now records from home. And – thanks to the wonders of digital networking via social media – he also takes on various different challenges with other racers from the world of two and four-wheel motorsport, from jigsaws to fitness challenges.

Fitness & Training

Speaking of fitness, fitness training obviously still takes up plenty of time for the two riders from the BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team. As professional racers, they are preparing for the moment when everything resumes.

For Sykes, the current situation has changed nothing in this regard. “I’ve been training from home since 2011,” he explains. “I always planned to be based at home for a number of reasons but mainly to be more productive with my time so I am lucky to have a fully-functioning gym at home. That means I am very well set-up and don’t have to worry about the training aspect. The only thing I am not doing at this moment is to go cycling outside.”

BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team rider Eugene Laverty

BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team rider Eugene Laverty

Eugene Laverty

Laverty has also had to put his big hobby, cycling, on hold. “We are still permitted to, but the reality is that there are 100,000s of cycling accidents per year and now is not the time to add stress to our healthcare workers.” And so his bike sits on a stationary trainer in his fitness room at home.

While he spends hours clocking up the kilometres at home, he watches old racing documentaries and season reviews. In addition, Laverty uses a power station framework for his strength and conditioning. “I am missing riding motorbikes,” Laverty says. “But absence makes the heart grow fonder, so I will be more than ready to return to action!”

Source: MCNews.com.au