As the new riding coach, Eugene Laverty joins Yamaha’s top riders. The Northern Irishman explains his work and how the move to the Japanese manufacturer came about.
It was only on Monday that Eugene Laverty was introduced by Yamaha as a riding coach. The 38-year-old replaces Niccolò Canepa, who is two years his junior and took over as race director from Andrea Dosoli. After retirement, Laverty also worked as a riding instructor at Bonovo BMW.
“I really wanted to continue running myself for a few more years, but I was no longer competitive. So I brought my plan and changed sides after the 2022 season – Bonovo gave me the opportunity to do that,” the Northern Irishman said in an interview with SPEEDWEEK.com. “So in 2023 I learned something about team management and I worked as a running coach car. I have to admit, learning these new jobs was not easy, especially the role as a horse trainer.
Laverty continued: “It was only in the second year that it started to get interesting when you realized that drivers were abusing it. Bonovo then changed his plans for the World Superbike Championship. Niccolò approached me to see if I could consider a change and offered me this opportunity at Yamaha. I am responsible for four Superbike pilots, like Niccolò before.”
As a working rider, Laverty himself had a riding coach – his brother John (42), who raced until 2012. Laverty makes a video for his analysis.
“As a former racing driver, you just say and show things that make a difference. It’s good to be able to show the riders what you want to tell them,” explained the 2013 Superbike world vice-champion. “You can see a lot from the outside and with the right technology you can visually. Drivers then have an aha effect that they just understand what I’m trying to tell them with the picture. Being able to show you the video makes it more clear and reinforces my point.”
