Ireland’s Eugene Laverty has made in-roads into Aprilia team-mate Sylvain Guintoli’s series lead after picking up his third World Superbike Championship win of the season at round four of the season at Monza at the weekend.

Returning to the circuit where he scored a historic double two years ago riding a Yamaha, Laverty was seeking a similar result this time around aboard the Aprilia.

Embroiled in a tense four-way battle for the win in race one, Laverty would emerge in an exciting head-to-head with Marco Melandri on the final lap, the pair swapping positions three times before the Irishman nosed ahead on the run to the final corner.

However, in a move reminiscent to 2011 when Laverty prevailed over his then team-mate Melandri, the Aprilia man would leave the smallest of gaps for Melandri to aim for, the Italian taking his opportunity to get beneath him and run his former team-mate wide on the run to the finish line. Laverty would also lose a spot to Tom Sykes, leaving him third.

Despite this, Laverty collected himself for race two and though he found himself in a similar position with Melandri behind him heading into the Parabolica, Laverty kept it neat to exit in front and carry on to the chequered flag.

“This was a great day for me. After the podium in race one it was nice to end the weekend with a victory. Especially since I was a bit disappointed because I had a shot at the top step of the podium in the first race as well if I had managed the end differently.

A third win of the season means Laverty is just 13 points behind team-mate Guintoli in the standings, the Irishman pointing out that he would be well ahead had he not suffered a double DNF at Aragon. Nonetheless, he is merely happy to prove the Aprilia is proving a competitive package wherever it goes.

“We showed that we can be fast and consistent on two very different tracks like Assen and Monza. My RSV4 did extremely well for me. On this track the speed and balance of the bike in braking are essential. The points situation is excellent if you consider the double DNF in Aragon, but I’ve already left those difficulties behind and I count on doing well at the next round in Donington as well.

“Even though it will be an ‘almost’ home round, it has never been a particularly favourable track for me, but I think this year I’ve got everything in order to bridge this gap as well.”

 

Results, race one:

1. Marco Melandri ITA BMW GoldBet S1000RR HP4 30m 54.925s
2. Tom Sykes GBR Kawasaki Racing ZX-10R +0.085s
3. Eugene Laverty IRL Aprilia Racing RSV4 +0.107s
4. Sylvain Guintoli FRA Aprilia Racing RSV4 +1.844s
5. Chaz Davies GBR BMW GoldBet S1000RR HP4 +7.629s
6. Michel Fabrizio ITA Red Devils Roma RSV4 +8.407s
7. Loris Baz FRA Kawasaki Racing ZX-10R +15.555s
8. Jonathan Rea GBR Pata Honda CBR1000RR +16.465s
9. Leon Camier GBR Fixi Crescent Suzuki GSX-R1000 +16.668s
10. Davide Giugliano ITA Althea Racing RSV4 +26.820s
11. Ayrton Badovini ITA Alstare Ducati 1199 R +38.908s
12. Max Neukirchner GER MR Ducati 1199 R +38.951s
13. Fabrizio Lai ITA Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R +52.788s
14. Kosuke Akiyoshi JPN Pata Honda CBR1000RR +55.889s
15. Federico Sandi ITA Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R +56.006s

16. Mark Aitchison AUS Effenbert Liberty Ducati 1098R +56.827s
17. Jules Cluzel FRA Fixi Crescent Suzuki GSX-R1000 +59.545s

Not Classified

18. Vittorio Iannuzzo ITA Grillini Dentalmatic BMW S1000RR 7 laps completed

Did Not Start: Carlos Checa ESP Alstare Ducati 1199 R

Fastest lap: Tom Sykes GBR Kawasaki Racing ZX-10R 1m 42.229s

 

Results, race two:

NB: Tom Sykes originally receives one second penalty and demoted to fourth after stewards decide he gained an unfair advantage cutting the chicane in his final lap battle with Sylvain Guintoli. However, the FIM would later reinstate Sykes to third place.

1. Eugene Laverty IRL Aprilia Racing RSV4 30m 59.653s
2. Marco Melandri ITA BMW GoldBet S1000RR HP4 +0.143
3. Tom Sykes GBR Kawasaki Racing ZX-10R +0.725s
4. Sylvain Guintoli FRA Aprilia Racing RSV4 +1.619s
5. Michel Fabrizio ITA Red Devils Roma RSV4 +9.965s
6. Davide Giugliano ITA Althea Racing RSV4 +10.066s
7. Leon Camier GBR Fixi Crescent Suzuki GSX-R1000 +12.241s
8. Loris Baz FRA Kawasaki Racing ZX-10R +29.771s
9. Ayrton Badovini ITA Alstare Ducati 1199 R +35.005s
10. Max Neukirchner GER MR Ducati 1199 R +41.757s
11. Fabrizio Lai ITA Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R +52.579s
12. Vittorio Iannuzzo ITA Grillini Dentalmatic BMW S1000RR +1m 28.772s
13. Federico Sandi ITA Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R +1 lap

Not Classified

14. Chaz Davies GBR BMW GoldBet S1000RR HP4 11 laps completed
15. Jonathan Rea GBR Pata Honda CBR1000RR 4 laps completed
16. Kosuke Akiyoshi JPN Pata Honda CBR1000RR 4 laps completed
17. Mark Aitchison AUS Effenbert Liberty Ducati 1098R 3 laps completed
18. Jules Cluzel FRA Fixi Crescent Suzuki GSX-R1000 1 lap completed

Did Not Start: Carlos Checa ESP Alstare Ducati 1199 R

Fastest lap: Marco Melandri ITA BMW GoldBet S1000RR HP4 1m 42.379s

 

World Championship standings after four rounds:

 

1	Sylvain Guintoli	Aprilia Racing	137
2	Eugene Laverty	Aprilia Racing	124
3	Tom Sykes	Kawasaki Racing	119
4	Marco Melandri	BMW GoldBet Motorrad	96
5	Chaz Davies	BMW GoldBet Motorrad	94
6	Loris Baz	Kawasaki Racing	75
7	Michel Fabrizio	Red Devils Roma Aprilia	74
8	Jonathan Rea	Pata Honda	71
9	Davide Giugliano	Althea Aprilia	49
10	Leon Camier	Fixi Crescent Suzuki	46
11	Jules Cluzel	Fixi Crescent Suzuki	41
12	Max Neukirchner	MR Ducati	39
13	Ayrton Badovini	Alstare Ducati	32
14	Carlos Checa	Alstare Ducati	29
=	Leon Haslam	Pata Honda	29
15	Ivan Clementi	HTM BMW	14
16	Federico Sandi	Pedercini Kawasaki	12
17	Fabrizio Lai	Pedercini Kawasaki	8
18	Alexander Lundh	Pedercini Kawasaki	7
19	Vittorio Iannuzzo	Grillini Dentalmatic BMW	6
=	Glen Allerton	Next Gen BMW	6
20	Jamie Stauffer	Honda Racing	4
21	Mark Aitchison	Effenbert Liberty Ducati	2
=	Kosuke Akiyoshi	Pata Honda	2