Michael Laverty

Michael Laverty (born 7 June 1981) is an occasional motorcycle racer from Toomebridge, Northern Ireland. After participating in the 2017 season in the British Superbike Championship aboard a Yamaha YZF-R1, and the 2018 season on a Tyco BMW, Laverty became a television commentator and occasional rider in Endurance events.

For 2021, Laverty established a young-riders' academy, to act as a competition stepping-stone, based on race-styled minibikes. Laverty also has Moto3 machines available for occasional wildcard race entries.

In September 2021, Laverty announced live on BT Sport, the television provider he is contracted to as a motorcycle race pundit, that he was to establish a new race team for 2022 out of the former Petronas Moto3 team, run by Johan Stigefelt, which will be disbanded at the end of the 2021 season. The team for 2022 with British riders Scott Ogden and Josh Whatley will be known as Vision Track Honda after the title-sponsor, also active in BSB as Vision Track Ducati. Laverty will act as race-team principal, with Taylor Mackenzie as team manager.

Laverty was the 2007 British Supersport Champion, and raced regularly in British Superbikes, plus occasional races in the World Supersport series and in American AMA Superbike Racing. His brother Eugene is a World Superbike rider and brother John was also a racer.

Career

British Superbike and Supersport World Championship Laverty raced in Supersport from 2001 to 2004, finishing in the championship top-five in all but his rookie season, and done assorted World Supersport races.

In 2005 and 2006, Laverty raced for the Stobart Honda team in the British Superbike Championship. In 2005, he was tenth overall with podiums at Knockhill and Snetterton, his achievements earning him the title of 'Irish Motorcyclist of the Year' from Irish Racer magazine. In 2006, he was teammate to Michael Rutter. Helped by a pair of fifth places at Knockhill in round 7, he came seventh overall, ahead of the more experienced Rutter.

For 2007, Laverty moved back to the British Supersport Championship, with the successful Relentless Racing by TAS Suzuki team. He beat teammate Ian Lowry to the title, and moved back up to BSB with the team for 2008. He took two fourth places early on in the season and finished ninth overall, but decided to leave the team for 2009.

For 2009, Laverty competed in the USA riding in selected rounds of the AMA Superbike Championship with Celtic Racing. He finished in the top-ten at every round he competed in, with a second position to Mat Mladin at the Road America round being his best result. He also competed in selected World Supersport rounds and joined the CRS team for the latter part of the 2009 season.

In January 2010, Laverty confirmed that he had re-signed with the Relentless Suzuki team to ride in the 2010 British Superbike Championship season.

In May 2010, Laverty took his and the Relentless Suzuki by TAS team's first Superbike victory, in race two of the third round of the 2010 British Superbike Championship at Oulton Park.

In the 2013 and 2014 seasons, Laverty competed in MotoGP on a CRT bike run by Paul Bird and his PBM Team.

The WEPOL Endurance Racing team, run by the German Penz13.com squad with Laverty replacing Matthieu Lagrive placed fourth in races at Le Mans (April 2019) and Slovakiaring (May 2019). They had to abandon their home race in Oschersleben after a technical failure and finished fifth in the overall standing of the 2018-2019 season.

MLav Racing Laverty operates a racing team called MLav Racing. They have competed in Moto3 since 2022 while also competing in the British Talent Cup, the 2025 FIM JuniorGP World Championship and have recently made their debut in British Superbikes for the season with Irish rider Richard Kerr.

Career statistics

Superstock European Championship Races by year (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Bike 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Pos Pts 2002 Suzuki VAL MNZ SIL LAU SMR BRANC OSC NED1 IMO 19th 25 2003 Suzuki VAL7 MNZ OSC SIL SMR BRA NED IMO MAG 21st 9

British Superbike Championship (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position, races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Bike 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Pos Pts R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 2005 Honda BHI15 BHI15 THR15 THRDNS MAL7 MAL9 OUL13 OUL10 MOP6 MOP4 CRO4 CRO10 KNO3 KNO4 SNERet SNE2 SIL SIL CAD CAD OUL OUL DON DON10 BHGP11 BHGP11 10th 129 Year Bike 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Pos Pts Ref R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R3 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R3 R1 R2 R3 R1 R2 R3 R1 R2 R3 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R3 R1 R2 R3 2006 Honda BHI7 BHIRet DON4 DON7 THR10 THR11 OUL11 OUL11 MONC MONC MAL5 MAL7 SNE5 SNE4 KNO5 KNO5 OUL7 OULRet CRO13 CRO7 CAD12 CAD7 SILRet SIL11 BHGPRet BHGP5 9th 179 2008 Suzuki THR10 THR5 OUL7 OUL4 BHGPRet BHGP4 DON9 DONRet SNE6 SNE6 MAL11 MALRet OUL9 OUL7 KNO6 KNO21 CAD8 CAD9 CRO7 CRO10 SILRet SIL15 BHIRet BHIRet 9th 141 2010 Suzuki BHIRet BHI4 THR10 THR6 OUL5 OUL1 CAD2 CAD3 MAL3 MAL3 KNO4 KNOC SNE6 SNE5 SNE3 BHGP6 BHGP4 BHGPRet CAD4 CAD4 CRO2 CRO1 SIL3 SILRet OUL4 OUL8 OUL4 4th 604 2011 Yamaha BHIRet BHI4 OUL5 OUL5 CRO24 CRORet THR1 THR7 KNO6 KNO3 SNE4 SNE5 OUL6 OULC BHGP8 BHGP4 BHGP4 CAD1 CAD2 CAD3 DON2 DON14 SIL2 SIL4 BHGP1 BHGPNC BHGP5 4th 601 2012 Honda BHIRet BHIC THR6 THR13 OUL6 OUL12 OUL7 SNE2 SNE1 KNO3 KNO1 OULRet OUL4 OUL5 BHGP4 BHGP4 CAD3 CAD3 DON3 DON2 ASS7 ASS7 SIL3 SIL5 BHGP10 BHGP3 BHGPRet 5th 581 Year Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Pos Pts R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R3 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R3 R1 R2 R1 R2 R3 R1 R2 R3 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R3 2015 BMW DON9 DON7 BHI13 BHI19 OUL8 OUL4 SNERet SNE4 KNO4 KNO6 BHGP5 BHGP5 THR9 THR6 CAD5 CADRet OUL9 OUL7 OUL12 ASS3 ASS9 SIL6 SIL2 BHGP9 BHGP3 BHGP1 4th 601 BMW SIL SIL OUL OUL BHI BHI KNO KNO SNE SNE THR THR BHGP BHGP CAD CAD OUL OUL OUL DON DON ASS ASS BHGP BHGP BHGP 8th 202 Yamaha DON8 DONRet BHI8 BHI11 OULRet OULRet KNO10 KNO8 SNE12 SNE15 BHGP13 BHGP9 THR21 THR13 CAD17 CAD8 SIL17 SIL15 SIL2 OUL6 OUL14 ASSRet ASS15 BHGPRet BHGP8 BHGP4 14th 125 BMW DON DON BHI BHI OUL OUL SNE SNE KNO KNO BHGP BHGP THR THR CAD CAD SIL SIL SIL OUL OUL ASS ASS BHGP BHGP BHGP 13th 116 Year Bike 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Pos Pts R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R3 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R3 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R3 2019 BMW SIL SIL OUL OUL DON DON DON BRH BRH KNO KNO SNE SNE THR THR CAD CAD OUL OUL OUL ASS ASS DON DON BHGP BHGP BHGP 24th 12