Eugene Laverty forced to sit out Most WorldSBK round

Eugene Laverty says it is still the intention to complete the 2021 WorldSBK Championship season with RC Squadra Corse BMW team despite being forced to miss a second event in succession. 

The Irishman - a 13-time WorldSBK race winner and runner-up in 2013 - was forced to miss the  most recent Assen event after the RC Squadra Corse team chose to step back from racing commitments owing to issues behind the scenes.

While the team had hoped to be back for this weekend’s sixth round - the series’ first visit to Most in the Czech Republic - it has since confirmed it will miss a second successive event.

Despite this, Laverty is remaining positive about the potential of the team and the BMW M 1000 RR which has suffered from a lack of available upgrades and testing.

“It’s so tough to be sat on the sidelines and miss these vital rounds of the Championship. The plan is to return to racing as soon as possible when the team has had time to regroup,” he said.

“RC Squadra Corse is a new team and 2021 has proven to be a tough year for any new venture starting out. 

“We won’t give up and we will aim to come back stronger. In the meantime I’ll continue to test for BMW, so I’ll remain sharp and ready for my return to racing as soon as possible.”

RC Squadra Corse is the third team to withdraw from the upcoming Most round together with Puccetti Kawasaki and Alstare Yamaha. 

However, the grid will be bolstered by the addition of the YART Yamaha team, which will enter a pair of R1s for Karel Hanika and Marvin Fritz.