Team Drive M7 Aspar Reports on MotoGP Day 1 End of Season Testing in Valencia with New Signee Eugene Laverty

10/11/14. MOTOGP TEST - COMUNIDAD VALENCIANA

DRIVE M7 Aspar Team welcomes Eugene Laverty Spanish team work hard at Valencia in debut MotoGP test for new signing   Even though the MotoGP World Championship might have ended at around 3pm yesterday, the riders were back on track today at Valencia as preparations began in earnest for the 2015 season. It is time for the teams to gather crucial data for their winter development programmes as they ready their new machines for the upcoming campaign. Bright sunshine and warm temperatures made for ideal conditions on the first of three days, with the track opening from midday to around 5pm as a host of riders completed their first laps after switching bikes, some of them coming from different categories all together.  Amongst the latter group was new DRIVE M7 Aspar Team signing Eugene Laverty. The Irishman is a former 250cc Grand Prix rider but he enters the elite category after building vast four-stroke experience in the World Supersport and World Superbike Championships, having finished as runner-up in both series'. Today was the start of a promising new relationship between the team and Laverty, who clocked up 45 laps today with a best time of 1'34.320. Eugene Laverty: “We completed 45 laps today; the first twenty were to get to know the bike, which is completely different to what I am used to riding. After the first few laps I started to enjoy myself. The biggest difference I noticed today was with the tyres, the way you need to make them slide and the limits you can reach with them. The Honda handles really well and with these tyres you have a lot of control, it's good fun. It was useful to have my brother Michael on hand to give me advice on when and where to push. I love the feeling with the rear of this bike, you can really slide it a lot. We worked today mainly with used tyres and the first impression was very positive. Hopefully I can continue to get to know the bike tomorrow and gradually chip away at the lap times.”