Lavilla for 3rd Airwaves Ducati spot?
 

It's only money, surely they can get another bike together out of the parts? Gregorio is working his socks off. Years of IL4 to Duc and be on the podium. There has to be a change in his luck surely after being out voted to partner Corser in WSBK and then Birdy changing the deal for McWilliams. We need to see him for the reat of the season.

If they have the grid slot and ducati can get them another bike then why not. He is getting massive publicity for ducati at the moment.

I have to say he's come to the UK, how many tracks does he know? and straight onto a 999 from IL4's... and he's getting podiums?

If I was Haydon I'd seriously be worried if I'd have a ride... look at Emmett last year? Bit unfair as we don't know the logistics I guess, does Gregorio have any other rides? etc etc

Gregorio rider of the day, geat to watch and flying the ducati flagg
i cant see him sitting around long after todays demonstration, he really did ride the wheels of that today, on cold tyre’s after the safety car. I nearly bit a chunk out of me coffee table. :o:o:o

Never had much time for James Haydon, he was not to pleased when i suggested to him that if he could stop binning it i could get my leathers back from "Nine Lives" quicker. Several years later he is still smashing himself and bikes up. Give lavilla the full time job he deserves.

Doogalman

Yeah Lavilla is the man.
That second race had me whoopin and a hollerin!
I cant imagine Haydon doing anything like that.

He did look good on the Duke and have to agree that gse/Ducati have to run him as a third rider :biaggi:

Have to say he is a better rider than haydon !

Lets hope so. He is only chance Ducati have of winning in BSB this year. Haslam does well in qualifying but seems unable to get it together in the race (not quite at front - not saying 4th is a crap ride!).

As for Hayden. If they keep him on then there will not be enough parts left to make up a bike for Lavilla!

Never mind third spot, what about first!!
He is an awesome rider and it's not like it's an overnight thing, remember him smoking the rear in Italy on the Alstare gixxer?
He was the only one apart from Hodgson to take the fight to Edwards and Bayliss that year.
I was at Thruxton yesterday and the reception he got from the crowd after race two was amazing :sing:

It would take a brave man indeed to discountinue giving a ride to someone that is second in the championship. The sponsors and Ducati Corse would a say in the matter, I'd imagine. Haydon will be lucky to ride at all this year.

Spoke to someone who is closer to the team than most people today, and he was saying that Haydon's ride was questionable after brands! This has kind of sealed his fate I think.

You have to look at the championship I guess, GSE/Ducati have a stand in rider who has scored 77 points out of a possible 100, which of course Kyonari has at present, there's no way that Haydon can come back into the squad and pull back those 100 points over the year, not unless Kyonari has some really bad luck...

Will/can GSE run a 3rd bike? or will Haydon sit on the sidelines again?

i was at thruxton yesterday and saw the race gregario was so close to getting past the honda was very exciting
my thoughts are
A) do you think that lavilla is already wringing the neck of the bike to keep up
B)or as its early days on the vee twin can he learn and ad input to the development of the bike to get past the honda's?

the team should bin haydon i think lavillas proved himself

I say "No" - just because he should be one of the first 2 - not the 3rd - Haydon can't get back in, can he??

Not unless kawaski offers him a ride. I don't think he will take it though. Nobody wants to ride the ZX10 thingy:P

Haydon Has a contract so gse have to becareful.


Haydon is just an English version of Xaus :lol::lol:

Emmett had a contract with Monstermob remember.... I think you'll find the small print probably has several get out clauses from both parties

Went to the Thruxton round on Sunday. And i have to say Lavilla, was great to watch. Just like the previous year at Thruxton when he stood in for yukio. On the Suzuki.
He seems to give a 100% and can adapt to any bike very quickly. And does deserve a chance somewhere.

Clint.

In the interviews, Gregorio was saying he's improving every time he goes out. Remember he's not done any testing, so he's probably still finding his ideal setup.

I can't see GSE letting him go. As has been said, he's second in the championship!

I read somewhere he had ridden a Duke before but that was 7 years ago!

Anyone know if Hayden anywhere near fitness? Thruxton programme said he was going to be racing there but obviously didn't.

He should be fit for Mallory according to the brief interview he gave on Skysports. Will he have a bike, though?

Lavilla last raced a Duke in 1997!

Two articles on crash.net...

British Superbikes Airwaves Ducati boss Colin Wright has admitted that he intends to sign the ex-factory Suzuki rider Gregorio Lavilla to the GSE run team for the remainder of this season but may not give him a machine to race.

Lavilla, since he has been deputising for the team's injured contracted rider James Haydon, is second in the BSB title chase and seems to be the only man, apart from Kiyonari's team-mate, so far able to challenge the flying factory Honda rider.

Wright is concerned that once Lavilla leaves, another team could snap him up and gain his points advantage for the remainder of the season.

"If he leaves, he could take a big load of points to one of our competitors," commented Wright.

However the team would be extremely hard pushed to keep up with three riders and six bikes, and therefore Wright claims not to want to actually field the Spanish rider in the rest of the championship.

"I would need at least four good technicians right now that know the GSE way to do things, not to mention the cost of two more high-spec Ducatis."

The Airwaves Ducati team are in a commanding position as they currently have the only non HM Plant Honda rider in the field that can seem to challenge Kiyonari for the title.

Wright knows this, and is trying to work out a deal with his sponsor to get the funding to mount a title challenge with Lavilla.

With more help from Ducati, which could come following the team's current success, and four reasonably experienced technicians that could easily be found from any of the smaller teams in the BSB paddock, Airwaves Ducati and Lavilla could be returning to the podium in the near future.

Otherwise Lavilla, who admitted that he only wants to race and would probably not be happy to sign a contract which meant he had to sit on the sidelines, could take his skills elsewhere.

"What I am here (at Airwaves Ducati) doing now is showing everybody what I know and what I can do," commented Lavilla.











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Before the BSB season started, there was a large amount of press dedicated to illustrating that Ducati machinery would struggle to keep up with the influx of four-cylinder machinery in top class Superbike racing this season.

Although this still appears to be the situation facing the factory team in World Superbike, Colin Wright's GSE-run Airwaves Ducati team has well and truly proved that it is not the case in BSB, with stunning performances from deputising rider Gregorio Lavilla in the two rounds held so far.

Now, with Lavilla's chances of carrying on in the British championship in doubt, as full-timer James Haydon makes a return to fitness, Crash.net has willingly joined those getting a taste of humble pie, and is prepared to petition Wright to try and ensure that the Spaniard gets a ride for the remainder of the season.

Armed with the venerable 999 F04, Lavilla has shown that there is still life in Ducati, and it would be an injustice for him not to continue the pursuit of early championship leader Ryuichi Kiyonari.

If you feel the same, email your thoughts to adam@crash.net. All the comments, which will be used with the uppermost confidentiality, will then be passed directly on to Colin Wright and the GSE team in petition to keep Lavilla

Lets hope Ducati Corse step in somehow and help cos if Lavilla isn't on the Airwaves Ducati he is surely going to be on something.

I see in the paper that Paul Bird is threatening major changes if his riders do not make progress so there may be a spot there?

Last years WSB championship winning bike is venerable! Give me a break!

true ! they may be last years winning wsb bikes but i rekon haydon can crash anything with two wheels and hurt himself everytime !

good old james !:burn::bouncy:

Hell no !

Not the nicest of bosses :lol:

Why is Paul Bird making threats?

Me thinks that he is looking for someone to blame

On sky last weekend they said that he (Bird) had declined Honda technical support to go his own way.

Only one person to blame then really, or should Jeremy McWilliam be blamed for the rear tyre failure?