It has now been nearly two months since we last saw Eugene Laverty (Team Goeleven) in action in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship; eight weeks since the Irishman suffered a brutal and unfortunate crash during Free Practice 1 at Imola which left him with several fractures in both wrists.

Replaced by Tommy Bridewell that same weekend and four weeks later in Jerez, followed by Lorenzo Zanetti in Misano, Laverty will hope to make the Panigale V4 R his own again at Donington Park and the Prosecco DOC UK Round. The 33-year-old announced on Wednesday that he will be present at the Leicestershire circuit and, should he pass the required fitness checks, will be returning to action in the UK.

While Laverty had originally sought a Misano return, slower progress than expected left him confronted with the more pessimistic scenario of a post-summer comeback, missing out on both Donington Park and next week’s Geico US Round. But the Irishman was adamant on making it back to the tarmac before the mid-season break.

“Ten days ago, I’d come to terms with the fact that I wasn’t going to be fit to ride at both Donington and Laguna Seca”, Laverty admits. “But without something to aim for I felt dejected and so I began to tell myself that maybe Laguna Seca could be possible if I kept working hard. It’s an anti-clockwise circuit therefore it gives the right wrist an easier time”.

“After six weeks of slow progress my right wrist finally moved on from the acute stage and that’s when I began considering Donington too. I rode a 300cc bike yesterday and played around with my riding position to help with the pain.

“Donington will be a huge challenge physically but mentally I just can’t bear to stand on the sidelines if there’s even the slightest possibility that I can compete. I can’t silence the racer inside of me”.

Laverty, who made both his 125cc World Championship and World Supersport debuts at the English track, will be checked by the medical team on Thursday who will determine if he is fit to start in Friday morning’s FP1.

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