Tyco BMW’s Michael Laverty took 20 points for his efforts at Assen in the Netherlands, during today’s penultimate round of the 2016 British Superbike Championship. The Ulsterman now leads the British Superbike Championship Riders’ Cup.
Laverty finished sixth in both races aboard his TAS Racing prepared S1000RR Superbike. His team-mate Christian Iddon suffered a lack of grip in race one and struggled home in 12th place. His frustrated was justified, when in race two he consistently lapped half a second quicker, coming from the sixth row of the grid to finish eighth.
Ian Hutchinson was making his circuit debut at Assen in the Superbike class with Tyco BMW and both the experience and track time proved worthy for the 14-time Isle of Man TT winner.
Michael Laverty: “Two sixth places isn’t exactly what we want, but it’s been a positive weekend all round. Right from FP1 I felt happier on the bike. The team made some changes between Donington Park and now and it’s been a good weekend. I’ve slowly been getting the confidence and feeling back that I had earlier in the season on the Tyco BMW. Race day I could have done more and that’s a little frustrating. In race two the conditions weren’t ideal at the start and I was maybe a bit cautious, but had a coming together with Christian and ran off track and I had to work hard to get back. I was actually faster in some areas but couldn’t find a way through.”
Christian Iddon: “There’s no hiding the fact we had a severe lack of grip in race one. It was that bad at the start that I thought the bike was actually putting fluid out. It left me with an uphill task in race two from the sixth row, and even though I was able to get back onto the leading pack, I had used the best of my tyre by that stage. We had both the package and the set-up to be on the podium this weekend, so that makes it more frustrating, but it was out of our hands and the boys did a great job as always. We just can’t catch that little bit of luck we deserve.”
Ian Hutchinson: “I knew this weekend would be tough, for the fact that I have never ridden at Assen before and we know how competitive the British Superbike class is. I would like to have finished higher up, but had I been two seconds off the leading riders at a circuit I know on my debut on the bike, I would have taken it. So to be that close this weekend at Assen is something I can take the positives from. It gives us something to build on.”
The final round of the British Superbike Championship takes place at Brands Hatch on October 15th and 16th.
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