Michael Laverty looked set to end the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship official test at Silverstone on top of the pile with Tyco BMW, but in a dramatic final minute of the session was edged out by just 0.122s.
The final session of the day was a battle for honours at the top of the times and Tyco BMW new recruit Christian Iddon, along with Leon Haslam, Danny Buchan, John Hopkins and Dan Linfoot all had a spell at the top, but it was Michael Laverty who held the leading position into the final five minutes on his TAS Racing prepared S1000RR Tyco BMW Superbike.
Haslam was on the attack in the closing seconds though and stole the leading position on his final lap, but Laverty said he was comfortable and content, not having pushed into the red at any point during the opening BSB test of 2016.
Laverty said: “I got here late last night and having only got a few hours’ sleep, I sat out the morning session. I had a reasonable middle session and gathered some data and had a great setting for the final run and led it right until the dying minutes until Leon Haslam pipped me.
“I’m quite happy as I knew I’d left quite a lot out on the track as it was my first effort on a soft tyre and I only did two laps. I was thinking of Thursday and all the promo shots so I didn’t want to damage my motorbike before then. I’m really happy with my race pace and the Tyco BMW is working really good – just as it has been doing right throughout testing – and I’m not even sticking my neck out just yet.”
Reigning British Superstock 1000cc champion Josh Elliott was the fastest of the Stock1000 riders in all three sessions with team-mate Ian Hutchinson making it a Tyco BMW ‘one-two’ in the third and final session, setting them up well for the Donington test on Thursday.
MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship, Silverstone, official test combined result:
- Leon Haslam (Kawasaki) 2m:06.182s
- Michael Laverty (Tyco BMW) +0.122s
- Filip Backlund (Kawasaki) +0.223s
- Christian Iddon (Tyco BMW) +0.233s
- Danny Buchan (Ducati) +0.392s
- Dan Linfoot (Honda Racing) +0.481s
- Shane Byrne (Ducati) +0.642s
- John Hopkins (Yamaha) +0.762s
- Richard Cooper (BMW) +0.790s
- Jason O’Halloran (Honda Racing) +0.844s
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