Hoping to bounce back from a tough start to the season as the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship began its European season, Milwaukee Aprilia continued to encounter issues at MotorLand Aragon, with the third round of the season continuing to highlight issues for the team.

Eugene Laverty secured two top ten position finishes in the Pirelli Aragon Round, despite having some bike issues as well as struggling with the hounding wind. Getting a stunning start off the line in race two, the Irishman was up into second position on the opening laps however he soon slipped down the order. Fighting for a top ten finish in the closing stages, Laverty secured ninth position over the line.

“It was a tough weekend overall,” Explains Laverty, “and I did what I could today to bring it home with some decent points. At the start I was up to 2nd and was up for a good fight, but the other guys just rode around me. The wind was really bad out there too and it affected all of us. I was getting pushed wide by it a few times and they were difficult conditions to ride in. At the moment we don't have a bike we can fight with, there's something that we are missing. We need to find lap time as soon as we can, and I'm struggling to get it stopped and turned. There's an underlying issue, but with a test day tomorrow I think we can get to the bottom of it and hopefully get the bike where we need it.”

Replacement rider Julian Simon went through a bike learning curve around MotorLand, as he took on a 1000cc machine for the first time in his career. With a new bike to learn, as well as a new team to work with the Spaniard put in a credible performance, scoring points in both races.

Faced with the challenge of the wind as well as developing bike,  Simon left the weekend feeling pleased with his performance, taking the positives from his debut  WorldSBK weekend.

Simon explained:  “Today was a difficult ride for me. There was a lot of wind in the first and second sectors, and it was hard for me to find the same rhythm as yesterday. Even though it was harder than Race 1 I was able to have a battle with Krummenacher and Reiterberger, and I was strong in the third sector where the wind was less. I am really happy with the whole experience this weekend. I improved every session and to get points in both races is fantastic. I just want to say a big thank you again to the whole Milwaukee Aprilia team for the support.”

Hoping to improve the overall feeling of the bike at Monday’s Official test around the circuit, Laverty will be working on general set-up as the only rider in the team as they wait for Lorenzo Savadori to fully recover for the Assen Round in three weeks.