Milwaukee Aprilia pulled the wraps off their 2017 WorldSBK RSV-4s at the beginning of Jerez testing yesterday, then it was time to get down to business for Eugene Laverty who found that the braking prpoblems he encountered in the last Spanish test are still there.

The Monegasque says the RSV feels like it’s pushing the front which makes it difficult to turn in, so today the Anglo/Italian crew will work with Ohlins to try and find some solutions.

“There were quite a few changes compared to when I rode it in November. It took a bit of time to get dialed in. It was a positive end to the day. I would say we are back to where we were at the last test. We’ve arrived at the same problem and we’re struggling to get the bike stopped and turned. It feels like it’s pushing the front a lot so that’s a direction we need to improve on,” Laverty said at the track.

“The problem is in the last part and getting the bike stopped and turned. I’m really struggling in that area. That’s just chassis-wise, geometry that we’ll have to work on, the electronics are working well. There’s a lot of different ways to approach it but it’s pretty clear what we need to do – to get some weight off the front to help with my riding style.”

Laverty ended day one nearly two seconds off the pace and a quarter of a second behind team-mate Lorenzo Savadori but it’s early days for the squad and with the Jerez outing to finish, plus another three days at Phillip Island, Milwaukee should get their ducks in a line.

“In the dry we’re still not there. At the last test we only had one dry day so we need track time . We need to really work hard tonight and tomorrow to chase down those guys at the front. We need to be within a second. For testing you can’t be content with being two seconds off.”