For 2022, Laverty is contracted to ride for satellite BMW team Bonovo in World Superbike Championship.[1] Midway through the season, Laverty announced his intended retirement at the end of 2022, partly due to poor race results, to continue with the same team as a co-owner and rider coach.[2][3]
During 2021, Laverty rode in some World Superbike events before his RC Squadra Corse team withdrew from racing; further rides later in the season were as a replacement for injured BMW factory rider Tom Sykes.[4]
Career
Early career
Born in Toomebridge, Northern Ireland, Laverty was runner-up in the 2004 British 125cc Championship. He had a successful year in 2006 aboard the Dunlop shod Red BullHonda CBR600RR. He was a top challenger for the British Supersport title, but finished third overall behind Cal Crutchlow and Tom Sykes, with four wins.[5] He had previously finished 9th overall as a series rookie in 2005.
250cc World Championship (2007–2008)
For 2007, he raced in the 250cc Grand Prix World Championship for LCRHonda[6] finishing in 25th place overall with a best result of 14th. A strong run at Barcelona produced no points due to an engine problem.[7]
For 2008 it was expected that he would go back to Britain and further his career in Supersports or Superbikes, but he was signed by Blusens Aprilia on 18 December to continue to race in 250cc with privateer motorcycles.[8] He scored points in China and Portugal, but at Le Mans he crashed at the one remaining wet corner as the circuit dried.[9]
Supersport World Championship (2008–2010)
Plans for him to make his World Superbike debut later that year[8] were scrapped when Chris Walker joined the team full-time, but he instead joined the factory Yamaha team in World Supersport as a temporary replacement for the injured Fabien Foret. Despite riding injured following a crash at the 2008 Indianapolis motorcycle Grand Prix a week earlier, he moved up from an early 7th to battle championship leader Andrew Pitt and teammate Broc Parkes for 2nd. Parkes got the better of him, but he finished on the podium after surviving contact with Pitt which eliminated the Honda rider. He decided before this race to end his 250cc season, and focus on a full-time WSS ride for 2009.[10]
The young Irish man signed with the Parkalgar Honda World Supersport team for the 2009 season.[11] On 14 March 2009 Laverty won his first Supersport World Championship race at the Losail International Circuit in Qatar, narrowly beating Ten Kate Racing's Andrew Pitt to the chequered flag. His win was also the first for the Parkalgar Honda team. He stacked up three more wins and four-second places to finish as series runner-up behind Yamaha rider Cal Crutchlow – ending Ten Kate's run of being the top Honda team for many years.
Superbike World Championship (2011–2014)
Laverty, on his Yamaha World Superbike, won his first Superbike World Championship race at Monza on 8 May 2011. Eugene stood proudly as his national anthem was played just after race one.[12] Later that afternoon, Laverty completed the double by winning race two, with fellow Yamaha teammate Marco Melandri taking second spot.[13] For 2012 Laverty rode a factory-specification Aprilia, partnering Max Biaggi.
MotoGP World Championship (2015–2016)
For the 2015 season, Laverty moved to MotoGP with the Aspar Team, riding a Honda RC213V-RS open-specification motorcycle. He finished the season in 22nd place in the riders' championship standings, with a best result of 12th in Catalunya.[14]
Laverty remained with the team – now riding Ducati Desmosedici GP14.2 motorcycles – for the 2016 season, where he partnered Yonny Hernández.[15] In Argentina, he achieved his best results in MotoGP career with 4th place.
Timeline
In 2008 he had competed in both the 250cc World Championship and the World Supersport series, he then went on to be runner up in the Supersport World Championship in both 2009 and 2010.
In 2011 he moved up to the Superbike World Championship with the factory Yamaha World Superbike team,[16] alongside former MotoGP rider Marco Melandri. On 8 May he won his first World Superbike race at Monza and went on to complete the double in race two.[17] For 2012 he moved to the Aprilia Racing Team and has been racing the Aprilia RSV4 alongside Max Biaggi, ending the championship in 6th position and competed for the 2013 championship in the same team alongside Sylvain Guintoli.
In 2017 and 2018 Laverty competed in the World Superbikes aboard an Aprilia RSV4, before losing his position within the Shaun Muir Racing team to former Kawasaki rider Tom Sykes.[18]
