Image source: Crash
P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Eugene Laverty says he “underestimated” Andrea Locatelli before joining Yamaha this year.
Andrea Locatelli has been a pleasant surprise for Eugene Laverty in the 2025 WorldSBK season after switching to Yamaha.
Locatelli, in his fifth WorldSBK season with Yamaha, won his first race at Assen this year.
Laverty, a former Yamaha rider turned analyst, admitted to underestimating Locatelli’s talent initially.
The comparison was drawn by Laverty between the Rea-Locatelli and Laverty-Biaggi pairings in terms of riding style development.
Laverty highlighted the upcoming tire change in WorldSBK from Pirelli to Michelin in 2027.
